My Saving Grace
by MYBIGBLUEBOX
Summary: Set after Doomsday. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get Rose back to their world, just as everything seems to be going to plan a fatal mistake leads to disaster. Will a strange new enemy bring an end to our heroes? Everything has conciquences.
1. Chapter 1

Hi there everyone!! Sorry about the delay in ff's but GCSE's had to come first. I passed everything except stats and I.T (I got D's in those groan) but all in all it wasn't too shabby. So here's my new Dr Who ff enjoy and please take the time out to review, I'm doing English A level next year and would really appreciate any advice you could give me on improving my pieces, thanks for reading!!

Title: Finding Rose

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again just coz. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC' ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world but when everything seems to be going to plan and fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive.

Dedications: Everyone who's read anything I've done over the years and gave their constructive criticism.

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

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The Doctor charged through the Tardis doors and flung his body against them, forcing them closed. Leaning over he rested his hands on his knees and breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath. He thinks over how nice it is to visit old friends, Wirrn always did have anger issues. Looking up he sees Martha slumped against the console gasping for air. Smiling with satisfaction at their latest escape from death, the Doctor walks over to Martha and offers her his hand.

'Right then' he says, pulling her to her feet. 'Where to next?'

Martha straightens her clothes and glances over at the Doctor as he whispers gentle words to the Tardis. She sighs quietly to herself, if only she could swap places with the Tardis, for just one day.

'Are you going to pick somewhere or do I get two goes?' the Doctor asks, Martha sees the playful glint in his eyes and blurts out the first place that comes to mind.

'London present day. You know my present day.' He raises an eyebrow in her direction, and she wishes she knew some more interesting planets by name. The Doctor folds his arms across his chest and leans against the console.

'Feeling home sick?'

'No not really, just be nice to see my home planet, that's all.' She gives him a look, daring him to say anything against her destination choice. He smiles at her and turns to face the console.

'Right, London it is then.' He makes sure his back is too her before closing his eyes and sighing to himself. This was going to be tough.

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Rose Tyler strode briskly down the corridors of a London office, Thomas her deputy of sorts, jogged behind her trying to keep up with her in a dignified manner. Stopping at an elevator, Rose pushed the button and folded her arms, the meeting with UNIT had not gone to plan. They where defiantly not what she had been expecting and was a little disappointed. After all the Doctor had said about them she thought they would be a little less egotistic. She taps her foot in irritation as the elevator door opens for her, Thomas squeezes himself inside as the doors began to close. Rose leans against the back of the elevator and listens to Elton John sing her a chorus of _Can You Feel The Love Tonight. _She certainly wasn't going to be feeling any love tonight, she'd remained strictly single after she'd been left here and work kept her more than occupied most of the time. Mickey had a new girlfriend, she was expecting their first child. Mum and Dad had April and each other, she'd made sure she had no one, she never wanted his memory to tarnish, her Doctor, somehow being with someone else made her feel unfaithful. Thomas cleared his throat and Rose turned her head to face him, letting him know she was listening.

'There's been a development with the Krillitanes Ms Tyler. The one we captured and tagged has just moved off the Mars surface, it looks like it's heading this way.' Thomas waited for her reply. Rose stared straight ahead listening in cold silence.

'The peace treaty you organised between us and the Flog system has been signed and is awaiting your counter signature, that's back at the office.' He ruffled some papers as her searched for the note he'd stuck to his clipboard that morning.

'And the Police Public Call box you had us search for still hasn't been sighted, we've had all our surveillance equipment on it but there's still no sign of it Ms Tyler.' The elevator doors opened and a sweet, young voice told them to mind their step and have a nice day. As Rose strode across the police parquet floor of the lobby she dictated her latest orders to Thomas.

'Have the Army notified that the Krillitanes might be on their way back for a visit and tell the Japanese satellites to keep their noses out of it this time, the last thing we want is Japan making a counter attack on them. Oh and make sure the Air Force keeps scouting the skies for it. Make sure UNIT knows that we have everything under control, I don't want them capturing and blasting the crap out of anything before I get a chance to question it first.

I'll sign the peace treaty tomorrow, send a message to the Flog system letting them know that I'm glad they backed down and I'll try my best to locate their leader.

The Police Call Box...' Rose paused unsure what she should do. Her heart told her to keep searching, that one day he would come back for her. Her head told her that they needed the equipment for other things, they couldn't keep wasting resources on this. She pictured the Doctor standing on the beach in Cardiff, telling her he could never come back.

'Ms Tyler?' Thomas looked at her anxiously as she stood with her hand on the door of London's UNIT headquarters.

'Call off the search, use the satellites to track the Krillitane, I want to know exactly where it's going to land.' Finishing their conversation with a tone of finality, Rose pushed the door open and strode off down the streets of London, tears in her eyes. She was finally starting to let him go.

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The Tardis touched down in London with a dying screech of it's engines. Martha jumped up from the sofa and launched herself at the door, the Doctor watched her in silence. He'd kept a good deal of distance between himself and London since he'd set off with Martha. There was no other place in the universe that could effect him the way London could. All the other places he'd lost companions where shut away in his memory, but London couldn't be shut away somewhere dark. It was her home, her life and her death all mixed up together and it gave him the most mixed up feelings.

He walked slowly towards the door and placed his hand on the white panelling, he felt the Tardis give him a little mental push, maybe this was the first step of letting her go. He stepped out into the bright sunshine of London's high street. Martha was checking out some of the stalls, already spending the money he'd given her on the way here. He remembered taking Rose here sometime after his regeneration, they shopped together, holding hands in the last minute Christmas rush. He lent against the Tardis doors and watched the people pass him by, not giving him a second glance. Not one of them knew what a sacrifice she had made for them in the Torchwood tower. God the nights he'd spent thinking about every second of that day, trying to think of something he did wrong, he couldn't let himself believe it was a fluke, that it was destiny, that he and Rose were never truly meant to be together. On the street corner the Doctor could see a young woman singing _Over The Rainbow _for money. He walked closer, hands in his pockets listening to the beautiful young woman sing. He sat on a wall near her and waited for Martha to come and find him.

He liked Martha, she had a brilliant mind and personality, but she wasn't Rose and never would be. He raked his hands through his hair and glanced up at the skyline, he could just make out the tip of the deserted Torchwood tower in the distance, the sun reflecting back off it's many windows. He pulled his eyes away just in time to see Martha bound over to him already weighed down with bags.

'Come on, plenty more shops left to tackle. Do they have a HMV near here? I'm only just surviving on last album.' The Doctor smiled at her and pointed her in the right direction, following her slowly up the street. Martha looked back at him every so often, he wasn't himself, off in his own world somewhere, maybe London hadn't been the best choice. She shook herself that couldn't be it, London was just as good as anywhere else, it wasn't as if anything special happened here recently now was it.

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'Another meeting? Sweetheart it's four in the afternoon, come over just for a while. It won't hurt if you miss one little meeting.' Rose sighed as she made herself a coffee, her Mum's voice filled her large, empty flat resounding off the walls. If it wasn't for speaker phone Rose would never have got anything done, so many people wanted her attention, the army, UNIT, Torchwood, paparazzi, the president, Mum, she never got any peace.

'I can't Mum, this one's important. Besides if I'm not there, they'll do something stupid and discover another alien race living in the sewers or something and start an intergalactic war.'

'They work you so hard darling. If I were you I'd tell them to screw their high and mighty job and settle down somewhere quiet. Oh speaking of settling down you know Harry from the estate down the road? Well he just got engaged to the barmaid Tara, she's a piece of work, if I was her...' Rose wasn't listening, there weren't many times when she did, it made her feel so guilty they way her mother bad mouthed . She hadn't exactly lied about her work, she'd just not told her the whole truth. She volunteered to work the long hours, the overtime, go to all the meetings no one wanted. It was the only way to switch off the memories, the only way she could beat the sleepless nights. Tonight's meeting was signalling a break through she'd secretly been hoping for, it broke her heart that she had to fight against it, bring the project down. No one wanted it to succeed more than she did and she couldn't allow it, seeing what it had done to her home all those years ago. It couldn't happen again. Gulping down the last of her coffee she addressed her mother.

'I've got to go, I'm going to be late. I love you, talk to you later.'

UNIT LONDON BASE 2, 4.30pm

'and so we should just be able to fit several people, pioneers if you will through to the other side. This could provide us with information that could advance our society thousands of years. Mister President this is an opportunity too great to ignore.' The scientist twisted his pointer around in his hands and anxious look upon his face, Rose stood to the back of the darkened room, watching in sombre silence. The President moved toward the large glowing hole in the wall, studying it careful, Rose hoped he wouldn't reach out and touch it, that was the last thing she wanted, a full scale riot when their president disappeared. She could guarantee she'd be left to pick up the pieces and get the President back. He turned sharply on his heel and asked Rose to step forward.

'We've heard the argument for this... experiment. Ms Tyler please present your argument against to us.' The President took a seat in front of her and regarded her carefully from behind his glasses. He was the peoples choice after the previous President died at the hand of the Cyber men, she liked him, he reminded her of the Doctor and it made her job all the more easier for it.

Rose stepped toward the bright hole that burned in front of her, she felt the Tardis key on it's chain bump against her chest reminding her of what she was about to do. Taking a steadying breath she turned to face the President, gesturing at the hole she addressed her small audience.

'This is no mere gateway to another world, this is a hole in time. A hole into what is known as a time vortex. This will lead you into a parallel universe, you've discovered a crack in time. If used this will only lead you into a world exactly like our own, there will be no knowledge, no other natural resources, nothing that you can use that you don't already have. Every time you open this hole you crack more of time itself, opening the bridge to this other world, will mean disaster for us. There is no other way to fix this crack in time once you have abused it enough. It must be closed, for good if you fail to do this out world will collapse and will be the end not only of our lives but of our planet. Once this world collapses there will be no where to hide.' Rose turned to the President and captured his eyes imploring him without words.

'Please, Mister President, with all respect if you allow this, you condemn us all to death.' A voice addressed her from the group of important people she was trying top convince to shut down the bridge, forcing her to break her contact with the President.

'Ms Tyler, how can you make such wild allegations. How could you possibly know this will happen, this is our first documented incident of a 'hole in time' What proof do you have that this will come about?' Everyone turned to face Rose, expectation and curiosity in their faces. The secretary of defence sat back down in her seat looking triumphant, Rose shot her a stony look before answering her question.

'I have no evidence to prove these claims. I can only give you my word that it will happen.'

'Why should we believe these claims, we have hard proof of what I am saying to you. This will help us greatly Ms Tyler's claims have no scientific weight. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that what she claims is correct.' The scientist that had spoken before caught Rose's eyes and looked away, unable to hold her gaze. Rose looked back at the President.

'Sir, I am certain, please don't do this.' He held her gaze searching her. He stood and walked over to the hole in time and space, Rose stood next to him, the paused and held a silence for a few minutes. Rose gasped and clutched at her chest, the Tardis key was hot against her skin, pulling almost at her mind telling her desperately that what she searched and longed for was on the other side of the crack in time. The President turned to her, concern etched slightly upon his face.

'Are you alright Ms Tyler?' She looked up at him and smiled slightly.

'Fine Sir. I'd feel a lot better thought if you demanded that this project be shut down and the hole closed for good.'

'You know that I value you your word and expertise Ms Tyler. Can you promise me that closing this hole would be for the greater good?' Rose started deeply into his face, trying to make him believe her and see her honesty.

'I promise you sir, that if you do not act we will die.' He nodded at her seeing her truth. Turning to the expectant scientist he spoke.

'I want this project shut down, you have one week to close this place down and seal the whole for good. I will have this project monitored to make sure that it is done correctly, Ms Tyler here will lead the supervising group. I shall return in one week to see if it has been done.'

'But Sir!.' The President glared at the scientist and he fell silent.

'I'll see you all in a weeks time.' and he left.

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Pacing down the streets of London the Doctor and Martha stopped in front of UNIT base 2. Martha licked her ice cream thoughtfully.

'So, what is this place again?'

'UNIT, United,Nations, Intelligence, Task force. The best at what they do, and about the only people in power that will believe you if you ran down the streets screaming that aliens had landed.' Martha smiled.

'Your type of people then?' The Doctor grinned at her.

'Oh yeah.' Martha looked back up at the huge building. It was a little bit over done, little but too big for her liking.

'We stopping in for a social call then?' She asked. The Doctor shook his head.

'Nah, the old Brigadier moved on ages ago. Not really got close with anyone in UNIT since, still if your ever in a tight spot their the people to call.' They started to walk off down the street , Martha turned around to get another glance at the huge building and was just in time to see a young man run out of the door of UNIT and look frantically down the street and then right at them, grabbing his papers close to his chest he began to run after then. Martha reached out and grabbed the Doctor's sleeve.

'Doctor, that guy's running after us.' The Doctor pulled his glasses out of his pocket and put them on, squinting into the distance he studied the man running towards them, until he was almost on top of them. He took off his glasses quite calmly and turned to Martha.

'So he is.' Martha sighed in exasperation, as the man reached them, gasping heavily and bent double. The two waited for him to catch his breath and straighten up.

'Are you the Doctor?'

'Yes' A small frown appeared on the Doctor's forehead.

'Sir, UNIT need to see you, now. It's a matter of extreme importance.' The Doctor studied the man for a moment, suddenly is mega watt smile appeared on his face.

'Lead on sir.' As Martha and the Doctor followed the man into UNIT Martha leaned over to whisper to the Doctor.

'If this is an abduction attempt, I'm trading you for my freedom.'

HEAD OFFICE UNIT LONDON BASE 2

A large man than resembled Simon Cowell's bodyguard approached them, the tight army uniform he was wearing did nothing for his figure and only seemed to be succeeding in making him hot and angry. He approached the Doctor and addressed him in a agitated voice.

'We have a situation Doctor, a very serious one here in an office just down the corridor. Before I show you there I must ask for your word that you will not disclose this information to anyone.' The Doctor nodded at him, keeping his gaze.

'I give you my word.'

'Follow me then sir.' The officer held the door for them and strode off down the corridor, the Doctor raised his eyebrows at Martha who stifled a giggle.

'You never know' He whispered to her 'Maybe we'll save the world before tea this time.'

OFFICE NUMBER 48 UNIT 2

'I can't believe it.' The Doctor stood in front of a large glowing circle in the middle of UINIT's offices. Martha came up behind him a put a hand on his shoulder.

'What is it?' Donning his most serious face the Doctor turned to Martha and gave her a look that to her only meant trouble. He turned to officer.

'Could you give us a minute.' Grumbling a little to himself the officer left them to it. The Doctor without wasting a second, whipped out his glasses and sonic screwdriver and began examining the hole. Martha crouched down next to him and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. The Doctor studied her, she was so like Rose when she did that.

'So what is this thing then?' The Doctor sighed and sat back on his heels.

'It's a hole in space and time, leading to a parallel world.'

'You mean a world exactly like this one? Like in the movies?' The Doctor gave her a look.

'Yes just like in the movies. Only if this is used to much the world will collapse and that's not good for us.'

'So get rid of it then.' He looked at his companion and she saw the look in his eyes.

'You don't want to, do you?' He looked away and started to fiddle with his screwdriver.

'Doctor what's going on?' She placed a hand on his shoulder. Looking straight into the vortex he spoke.

'Without going too much into it, this could be my only way back to Rose.'

'But, by using it you could destroy the world.' She frowned, there wasn't a situation in the world that could be worse than this one.

'Theoretically.' He started probing the hole again with the sonic screwdriver. Martha watched him not wanting to say anything for fear of upsetting him.

'Yes!' Martha jumped.

'What, what is it!?'

'This hole in time hasn't been used yet. Nothing gone through it, nothing's stretched it. Now if I can stabilise it with the screwdriver and the Tardis for one trip in and out again, I could... I could get her back.' He flashed her another huge smile before turning all his attention back to rescuing his old companion. Martha's heart leapt and sank at the same time. She was so happy for him and sad for herself, with Rose back there was no way she was ever going to have a chance with the Doctor. Taking a deep breath she decided that it was her job as his assistant and friend to help him and support him.

'So what do we need to do?' The Doctor gives her a smile, not a mega watt, slightly over done smile but a gentle caring smile. Martha smiles back, that what Rose must have had all the time, lucky girl.

'Okay well the first thing I've got to do is stabilise the crack enough so that the Tardis turning up won't split it wide open.' A little tinkering later and the Doctor straightened up.

'That should do it, now back to the Tardis Miss Jones.' Running to the door the pair charged out of it and down the corridor, the Doctor shouted at the officer over his shoulder demanding that no one be let in on pain of death.

Outside UNIT the Doctor took Martha's hand and ran down the high street and to the Tardis. Quickly unlocking the door he rushed inside to the console. Martha stopped inside the door and leaned against the railing to catch her breath.

'You know we really need to break you of this fetish for running.' The Doctor grinned at her as he fired up the engines.

OFFICE NUMBER 48 UNIT 2

'Okay Martha I need you to hold down this lever and press this button when I say, you got that?' Martha nodded and gave him an encouraging smile.

'It's really important that you don't push the button next to it okay.' Martha nods again. The Doctor gives her an excited smile. He makes his way quickly to the door carrying an arm full of pipes.

'Doctor?' He turns to face her a questioning look on his face.

'What happens if I hold this down.' He shrugs.

'Something bad. Tried it once before with an assistant of mine, didn't turn out so good.' Martha gives him a shocked look as he leaves. After he wires up the pipes and double checks everything he takes a second to think about what he's doing, he'll see her again, that beautiful smile. He grins to himself and calls back to Martha.

'Alright Martha, fire her up!'

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Rose filed her nails and watched the scientists removing all the research equipment from the room. Two armed guards stood at the door making sure nothing was checked in or out that shouldn't be. The hole in time would still work, without the stabilising equipment, Rose couldn't help but be tempted to throw herself into it. The Doctor taught her better than that, she knew that throwing herself into the vortex would kill her, besides there is no guarantee to where she would turn up. Sighing she set her nail file down.

'Are you nearly done?' The scientist that had spoken against her earlier looked up.

'It takes a long time to shift weeks worth of research Ms Tyler.' The scientists poisonous tone had no effect on her. Rose shrugged and walked over to the vortex. Folding her arms across her chest she stared into its depths. Suddenly her Tardis key came alive, it pulled against it's chain and became almost unbearably hot, a gentle breeze began to flow through out the room, Rose backed away from the vortex not daring to believe what could be happening. She smiled as her ears picked up the faint sound of the Tardis engines.

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Okay people, let me know what you think. Sorry it's so long there but I needed to get some Doctor Who out of my system. All criticism welcome, I need to know what needs improving. I promise I'll reply to all reviews if your an anonymous please leave an email address so that I can thank you for your input, if you really don't want to leave an address though I totally understand and I respect your privacy. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed my first chapter. x x


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Reunion

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again just coz. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC' ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world but when everything seems to be going to plan and fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive

Dedications: Everyone who's read anything I've done over the years and gave their constructive criticism.

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

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As the Tardis began to slowly materialise into office number 48, Rose stood watching, hardly daring to believe what was happening. Her heart hammered in her chest as she revealed in the familiar sound of the Tardis' engines, at last she was going home.

The engines roared one last time and fell silent, Rose didn't dare breathe, the anticipation was too much. The Tardis door opened and he stepped out. Her Doctor, untouched by time, in all his magnificent glory, restored to her. No sound could be heard everyone in the room stood amazed at what had just occurred in front of them. Rose and the Doctor stared at each other, taking each other in. Rose studied the Doctor, he hadn't regenerated again that was a small blessing, the same as the memories engraved in her mind. His eyes sparkled in that way only his could, his lips curved into the gentle smile she knew so well, it made her heart soar as she walked towards him.

She looked incredible, five years had only improved her already polished features into perfection. Her gorgeous blond hair now waist length. Fuller curves, hugged by her black silk suit. She walked with all the grace and authority of a woman little emotion, but her eyes still held that familiar warmth that glowed from within and melted his heart. She stopped in front of him and reached up, never taking her eyes from his and touched his cheek with her finger tips. Sliding her hand up she rested her whole hand against his face, her touch calming his raging heart beat.

'Your real, your really here.' She whispered, tears of joy filling her eyes.

'Hello' He whispered back to her before sweeping her up into a desperate hug. Her arms flung around his neck as he lifted her off the floor, pulling her closer than ever. His arms around her waist warmed her through, the familiar feeling of his skin next to hers made her want to cry with relief. She wept as her face found the crook of his neck. His own tears dampened her shirt collar as he consoled her.

'Shhhh, Rose. It's alright, shhhh.' he whispered gentle words to her, as he set her on her feet. Her head found his warm, firm chest, she wound her arms around his torso and breathed him in. He pulled her even closer with an arm around the small of her back and the other around her shoulders. He rubbed the back of her neck soothingly as she continued to hiccup gently in a way he found sweetly endearing. His fingers found a warm chain against her skin, he removed his hand and pulled out her Tardis key. Turning it over in his fingers he tilted his head to one side to get a better look at her.

'You kept it, all these years?' She looked up at him from under her hair.

'Of course I kept it. I would never get rid of it, it was my connection to you.' She snuggled deeper into his embrace as he smiled and placed the key back next to her chest, before kissing her hair gently.

Thomas looked on, along with the other members of Torchwood and various members of security. This man, who ever he was must be quite extraordinary, to melt the stone cold Ms Tyler's heart. He didn't look like much but there was something about him, something that made you trust him instantly and his large blue box was rather impressive, unfortunately Thomas wasn't the only one to think so. An armed guard approached Thomas from behind and clapped him on the shoulder making him jump. Whispering something into Thomas' ear he threw him a pointed look and backed away looking expectant. Swallowing hard, Thomas nervously made his way top Ms Tyler and her 'friend'.

'E- excuse me, Ms Tyler?' Rose turned to look at Thomas and smiled at him.

'Thomas, this is the Doctor. I'm sorry but there's somewhere I need to be. Could you do me a huge favour? Go to the top draw of my desk and get out a letter addressed to my family. Oh and in there are the forms I've signed giving you the place at the head of Torchwood.' Thomas stood open mouthed.

M- Ms Tyler, I - I.' Rose smiled even wider and gently pulled herself away from the Doctor to take Thomas by the hand.

'I never thanked you. All these years, everything you've done for me and I never thanked you once. I couldn't have done it without you.' Rose leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. As she turned back to the Doctor, Thomas called her back.

'They want to ask your friend some questions. Ms Tyler, I think you'd better leave, quickly.' Rose looked over at the armed men, their was something threatening about the way they looked at her.

'Thanks Thomas, don't forget will you.' Thomas smiled at Rose for the first time in all their years together and shook her hand.

'Good luck Ms Tyler.' Rose turned back to the Doctor an old flame relit in her eyes.

'You ready to run?' Rose asked, the Doctor looked at her a confused smile flashing across his face.

'Oh, I'm always ready.' Grabbing Rose's hand the Doctor took off towards the Tardis.

'Don't kill them, we need them alive!' The largest armed guard yelled over the deafening sound of gunfire as the armed guards opened fire in a desperate attempt to prevent the Doctor from reaching his Tardis.

Propelling himself and Rose through the doors of the Tardis, the Doctor yelled for Martha.

'We've got trouble!'

'What else is new?' Martha muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. She sneaked a quick look around the Tardis' control panel to get a look at the legendary Rose Tyler. She was beautiful, the Doctor hadn't spoken about her much but from the precious little information she'd obtained she'd built up a rather overemphasised image of the Doctor's former companion. She'd expected Jordan mark two, with a large vocabulary and irritating habit to make the Doctor drool over her every move. Watching her re-familiarise herself with the Tardis, Martha couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed at the way she'd misjudged her, she didn't want to admit it to herself but Rose actually looked like quite a decent person.

Rose strode around the console with an ease that only comes with years of time travel and watched the Doctor prance around his Tardis, punching in coordinates and giving her a smart tap with his mallet every now and again.

'Hello old girl. Did you miss me?' Rose asked the Tardis, she hummed gently in reply giving the back of Rose's mind a nudge.

'Yeah I missed you too.' Martha couldn't help but feel jealous. Not only did Rose share a special bond with the Doctor but his time machine too. She was awoken from her daydream by the Doctor's hand waving in front of her face.

'Hello, Martha! Danger this way comes! I need you to hold down that lever and pull down the one you were holding before, when I say go. Then on three, press down the button you were holding before four times, but don't push the one next to that or bad things happen. Got all that?'

'Err..' The Doctor beamed at her.

'Great, here we go!.' The engines started up, Rose stood listening happily as the Tardis kicked into life. The Doctor pranced merrily about, tapping buttons, hitting the monitor and shouting out random phrases in Gallifreyan. Martha struggled to hold down the two levers and press the little red button about two meters from her finger tips. Suddenly the Tardis hit a patch of 'time turbulence' the Doctor informed them by yelled over the roaring of the engines. Martha who was desperately trying to reach her button, slipped as a large jolt rocked the entire ship and left Rose and the Doctor on the floor and Martha clinging to the console. Slamming her hand down Martha pressed the button, hard and grabbed a hold of her levers as the Doctor and Rose jumped to their feet and tried to beat the Tardis into submission.

Soon enough the Tardis found a smooth piece of time vortex to settle in and floated quite happily through, oblivious to the mess that her interior was in.

The Doctor reached out a hand to Rose and hauled her off the floor.

'Nothing like a bit of turbulence to get you going.' Rose caught his eye and spluttered with laughter. She'd forgotten just how much fun he could be. Martha coughed quietly to get their attention.

'Hey, Rose, this is Martha Jones. We've been travelling together for a while.' Rose eyed up her opponent, not quite sure whether she liked her or not.

'How longs a while?' The Doctor raked a hand through his hair. He looked so adorable that Rose felt herself falling in love all over again.

'Well about... a year and a half.' The Doctor looked at her warily, unsure how she'd react. Rose took a deep breath. Eighteen months was a long time, by the time she'd been travelling with the Doctor for that long she was sharing his bed every night. She couldn't help but get the feeling that Martha had something for the Doctor, she'd seen the look in her eyes when she'd entered the Tardis holding the Doctor's hand. With a huge surge of self control and the urge to be mature, Rose decided that at least the Doctor hadn't been on his own, she probably owed her lovers sanity to this woman. She reached out a hand to Martha.

'Hi, I don't know how much he's told you about me, but..' Martha cut her off in mid sentence, grasping her hand a little harder than necessary.

'He's told me all I need to know.' Rose shook Martha's hand politely and smiled, before withdrawing her own. She turned to the Doctor and raised her eyebrows, he shrugged discreetly. Moving off around the console the Doctor checked over his precious time machine, leaving the two women alone.

Rose stroked the time machine affectionately, her Mum was right she was turning into the Doctor. That was so long ago now, the battle at Canary Warf, so long since she'd last seen her Doctor. She discreetly took a look at Martha, he could have picked worse people to travel with, she looked like a nice enough girl. Her comment about knowing all she needed too had thrown her a little, what was that supposed to mean. Rose looked up as the Doctor approached the panel Martha had been minding, he took out his sonic screwdriver and ran it over the console, he frowned slightly to himself.

'Martha did you push that button that I specifically told you not to touch? That one that if you pressed it, very bad things would happen.' The Doctor fixed her with a look of concern and impatience. Martha rewound her memory, of course she hadn't pressed his stupid button, I mean she'd only been knocked off balance for a second. Then again, she just might have accidentally knocked it, had she? had she really knocked it? For the life of her she couldn't remember, what damage could it do anyway? It was just one little button.

'Nope , didn't touch it.' The Doctor looked at her for a long moment, before a huge smile took over his face.

'Good, excellent work Martha Jones. On we go, planets to see, species to save!' Martha laughed nervously still unsure whether she'd pushed that button or not.

Rose rubbed the small of her back that still ached from her heavy fall onto the Tardis floor. Flopping down into the chair facing the console she moved her hands over the faded fabric. Tilting her head back to face the ceiling, she closed her eyes and smiled.

'God, I've missed this.' The Doctor sat down heavily next to her.

'Yeah?' Rose's smile widened.

'Yeah.' He took her hand in his and kissed it.

'I've missed this too.' Rose lifted her head and opened her eyes, meeting his. She could drown in his eyes, chocolate brown, shining with warmth and care. Martha chucked some of the Doctor's tools back into their box, reminding them both that they weren't alone.

'Well, I'm off. I'm going to go see what you've done to my room. I swear if you've chucked any of my stuff into the time vortex, I'll throw your tea in after it.' The Doctor's eyes widened in mock horror.

'You wouldn't dare.' Rose smiled slyly back at him.

'Wouldn't I?' The Doctor laughed heartily as Rose turned her back on him and made her way down the winding corridors of the Tardis. The Doctor placed his arms behind his head and leaned back in his chair, watching Martha clean up what was ultimately his mess.

'So what do you think of Rose?' Martha straightened up a mallet in hand.

'She seems nice enough.' Martha walked over handing the Doctor his mallet and sitting down next to him.

'Martha... I know this has got to be difficult for you but...'

'No it's fine Doctor, she's your girlfriend, she deserves to be here.' The Doctor turned his mallet over in his hands not quite wanting to meet his friends eyes. Martha sighed, she always knew that if the fabled Rose returned things would be difficult for a while, but she'd never counted on feeling so damn jealous. The Doctor stood, the air surrounding them and their previous conversation still stiff.

'Well then, I'm off to make some tea, you want some?' Martha shook her head, the Doctor frowned, worry nagging at the back of his mind.

Martha listened to the Doctor's converse all stars squeak on the grated floor as he made his way to the kitchen. Before she knew it she was alone in the control room, crossing her arms across her chest she thought to herself, _yep difficult deffinatly doesn't cover it._

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Rose lifted her head as someone knocked on her door, she was about to tell them to come in when she reminded herself that the Doctor and herself where no longer alone in the Tardis. Padding over to the door she opened it and poked her head out. The Doctor stood holding a hot chocolate, wearing blue pin strip p.j's and a smile. Rose moved aside to let him in.

'Hey, that for me?' The Doctor nodded and passed her the cup. Rose moved to sit on her bed crossed legged and took a sip.

'Can I still make a decent cup of hot chocolate? Martha hates the stuff and you know me, I'll drink anything.'

'Don't worry, you still got it.' The Doctor beamed at her and sat next to her leaning against the head board. Rose eyed him up and down.

'Nice p.j's. You've really got a thing for pin strip don't you?' The Doctor's eyes sparkled at her.

'This regeneration seems to like 'em. Besides your pyjamas aren't exactly flattering.' Rose looked at him indignantly, warning him with her eyes not to say another word. They were a old pair of Jack's, about three sizes too big and black with big boy written across her backside.

'Would you rather I was naked?' The Doctor blushed and ran a hand through his hair. Rose stared down into her mug and took a long drink, she couldn't believe she'd just said that!

'So, I noticed you didn't toss any of my stuff.' The Doctor looked up at her and grinned.

'Have you checked the wardrobe yet?' Rose's face fell.

'You didn't?' The Doctor just continued to grin at her. Rose lept up and crossed to her wardrobe, flinging the door open and sticking her head inside, muttering to herself as she did a quick equipment check in her mind. Satisfied that nothing was missing, Rose shut her wardrobe and fixed the Doctor with a glare, he continued to grin back at her.

'Had you there didn't I?' Sitting back down next to him to lean a head on his shoulder, she hit him playfully on the chest.

'You ever pull something like that again and you'll regret ever coming back for me.' Putting an arm around her shoulder, the Doctor pulled Rose close to him.

'Nothing could make me regret that.' Rose smiled, she loved it when he sweet talked her.

'How was 'Pete's World' then?'

'Hard at first, it was never easy but I got used to it after a while.' The Doctor rested his chin on her head and sighed contentedly into her hair.

'Torchwood was a hard place to work, you know in a male orientated company, surrounded by raging testosterone.' The Doctor couldn't help but picture Rose, his Rose surrounded by men, with some pencil pushing office junkie.

'Then was never anyone else.' It amazed him the way she could almost read his mind. He tightened his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

'I never wanted you to be alone.'

'And I never wanted anyone else but you.' The Doctor smiled, it was nice to know your missed.

'So where d'ya go want to go tomorrow? Newbie privialges you pick the first destination.'

'Hey less of the newbie. I'll show you I'm just as good as I ever was.'

'We'll all be dead by tomorrow then, you always were attracted to the more dangerous buttons on the console.' Rose laughed.

'Could we... go and see London. I'd like to see home again.'

'Sure, anywhere you want.' Rose knew that her old estate wouldn't be the same. Half the people she grew up knowing wouldn't be there any more, after the Cybermen and Daleks purged the entire world. There might be someone else living in her old flat, sleeping in her room. The idea was too strange to think about. Rose yawned and the Doctor pounced on her.

'All this time travel wearing you down already, your getting old Rose Tyler.'

'Says the nine hundred year old Time Lord.' The Doctor grabbed her around the middle and pulled her down to lie next to him on the bed, spooning himself around her from behind he lay his head in the crook of her neck.

'You've hit the nail on the head. Time Lord, I'm as sprightly as I was when I was two hundred, I'll have you know. Your human kind has nothing on me.' The Rose smiled into her pillow. Reaching up she touched his face, feeling an overwhelming desire to turn around and hug him hard, just to make sure he was there filled her.

'I really did miss you so much you know.' The Doctor turned his face into her neck and kissed her skin.

'I know love, get some sleep. I'll still be here in the morning.'

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Rose coughed hard, bringing her hand up to her mouth to stifle it in case she woke the Doctor. She frowned as she felt something wet against her fingers. Gently untangling herself from the Doctor she padded over to her dressing table and pulled out a box of tissues. Wiping her mouth and her hands clean, Rose reached out a hand to turn on her lamp, only to clamp it back over her mouth as another bout of hacking coughs over took her. The Doctor stirred under the comforter and sat up, sleepily. Finally her coughing subsided and Rose slapped a hand over the lamp's switch, filling the room with a soft yellow light.

Rose gasped as she caught sight of the bloody tissues she'd tossed onto her dressing table, looking up into the mirror, she watched little rivers of blood run down her chin.

'Rose?' The Doctor's anxious voice called her round to look at him. Rose's panic was mirrored in the Doctor's eyes as he took in the sight of her. Wrenching the bedclothes off he was at her side in an instant, mopping up her blood, ripping more tissues from their box. Tears formed in Rose's eyes as she caught the Doctor's.

'What's happening?' She whispered. The Doctor gathered her to him.

'I don't know love, I don't know.'

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Chapter 2 is in the house! Sorry about the lackof Martha in this one, I thought that the Doctor and Rose needed a bit of a catch up. Thanks for all your kind reviews and for adding my story to your various 'lists' I hope this one satisfies you as much as the last did. Please review! Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Age Concern

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again just coz. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC' ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world but when everything seems to be going to plan and fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive

Dedications: **MY DEDICATED BETA READER GENERALJESS, THANK YOU SO, SO, SO, SO MUCH. **

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

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The Doctor could feel Rose tremble under his hands as he helped her onto the medical bay's examination table. There was an awful, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could feel it roaring inside him as he ran the sonic screwdriver over Rose's body. She watched him with anxious eyes as he examined her. His face hardened a little bit more with every second that passed.

'What is it?' Her voice was already hoarse; a sore throat had nothing on the pain that tore up her throat now. The Doctor looked up at her and sighed.

'I don't know.' His voice was all but a whisper only adding to Rose's already mounting fear. She coughed hard again, and the Doctor placed a hand on her forehead, looking down at her with a worried expression upon his face. She was clammy under his palm.

'Rose, are you feeling hot or cold?'

'Cold.' The Doctor's mind began to think over any probable causes for his lover's sudden illness. Finding nothing that fit the description of what Rose was , he ran the sonic screwdriver over her again.

'What are you doing?' Rose asked, looking up at him with dark eyes.

'Taking some readings, I'll put them into the Tardis' computer. Maybe she can come up with a solution.' Rose nodded and rested her head back on the pillow, a frown covering her face.

The Doctor paused to study her face, she was already turning grey, and a purple lining was just becoming visible around her eyes. What ever this was it worked fast. Whipping around, he strode over to the monitor and keyboard that stuck out from the wall of the med bay. Sticking his screwdriver into the side of the monitor the Doctor began to type hastily. The TARDIS pushed insistently at the back of his mind.

'I know we don't have long. Help me out here, tell me what this is.' The Doctor muttered under his breath.

After several more minutes of searching proved futile, the Doctor sighed and glared at the screen, thumping it hard with his fist. Rose woke with a start and ran her eyes over the Doctor's hunched over form.

'Find anything?' Her voice cracked as she winced, bringing a hand to her aching her throat. The Doctor heard her pain and cursed himself for not being able to help her. He turned to face her and shook his head sadly. Rose held his gaze for a moment, another fit of coughing forced her to squeeze her eyes shut.

The Doctor approached her, taking her hand in his.

'It's going to be alright love.' Rose nodded slowly and painfully. He squeezed her hand, trying to hold down his own terrified emotions. There must be something he'd over looked, anything to make her this ill. Frantically he replayed the last twenty four hours in his mind. He'd gotten Rose back, set the coordinates for the Time Vortex, there'd been some turbulence, nothing he couldn't handle. What else was there? He'd examined the TARDIS for damage finding... that feeling... that feeling that something wasn't quite right. _That _button-what if, what if Martha had pressed it? Martha wouldn't lie to him, would she? Better go and find out.

'Rose, sweetheart, I'm just going to find Martha. I'll be right back I promise.' She squeezed his hand to let him know she'd heard him. He kissed her forehead and raced off down the corridor.

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The Doctor pounded on Martha's bedroom door.

'Martha? Martha! This is important, open the door!' Stilling his hand so that he could listen for a reply, the Doctor could feel anger rising up in his throat. He was about to knock again when he heard a muffled sound coming from behind the door. Pressing his ear up against the wood paneling, he listened to the silence behind it, until his ears picked up the barely audible sound of a moan. Tearing his ear away from the door, the Doctor threw his weight against it, breaking the lock and forcing it open.

Martha lay on the floor, blood trickling lazily from her mouth, eyes shut. The Doctor raced over to her and checked her vital signs. She was breathing with a rapid pulse. Bending over her, the Doctor called her name.

'Martha, can you hear me? Martha, open your eyes.' In her barely conscious state, Martha mumbled something that the Doctor couldn't hear. Once again the Doctor tried to rouse her, but when it became apparent she wasn't going to get up, he picked up her limp form and carried her to the med bay.

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'Doctor?' Rose sounded so weak already, the Doctor longed to take her pain from her. Lying Martha on the second examining table he examined her the same way he had Rose. Rose turned her head to the Doctor, watching what he was doing.

'Is she alright?' The Doctor shook his head. Rose closed her eyes again, the sheets of blackness that floated around the edges of her vision beckoned to her.

The Doctor placed the sonic screwdriver back into the monitor and let the Tardis analyze the samples. The Doctor cursed under his breath, once again thumping the monitor in his anger. Rose turned her head to look at him, her neck aching under the strain of moving.

'Doctor.' He returned to her side, looking grim, filling Rose's heart with fear. The questioning look in her eyes told him that she wanted answers. Taking her hand once again in his, he met her eyes, his fear apparent to her.

'What is happening to Martha and what is happening to you is the same thing. Your body is aging, rapidly...beyond my control. I... I think Martha pushed the wrong button on the console. Time travel was always risky, you know that, I try to be as careful as I can be but I can't do it all myself. Your organs are going to age before the outer body begins to show signs of aging. The coughing is… is because the lining of your lungs is breaking down and blood is filling them; your body's trying to expel it. Rose, I...I don't know what to do for you. I... I.' He fell into silence hanging his head as tears escaped his eyes. Rose looked at him as she tried to take in this news. She lifted a hand with difficulty to his face and comforted him with her touch. He lifted his eyes to her, she could see the raw emotion in his face, her fear cut her deep but she refused to give into it, there was still fight left in her.

'Why is Martha out of it, we where together when the accident happened. Shouldn't we both be unconscious?'

'You absorbed the Time Vortex. I'm a Time Lord I can withstand most of what goes wrong in here. Time doesn't have an effect on my body, my regeneration sees to that, it also protects me from things like this. When you absorbed the Time Vortex, it had the same sort of effect on you. It's given you a bit of immunity, like an inoculation. Martha's never been exposed to that, she's more vulnerable than us.' Rose nodded, the Time Vortex was the cause and a temporary barrier to it's own effects-she was never going to get her head around the way the universe works.

'So what can we do?' The Doctor still looked into her eyes, not hiding from her, giving her the undeniable truth of the situation, no matter how much Rose wanted to deny it was happening.

'I.. I don't know what I can do for you. I've got to take a look at the TARDIS and hope that she gives me some answers.' Rose closed here eyes against the tears of fear that threatened to fall.

'So.. so what your saying is... that I might die?' The Doctor placed a hand on her forehead and spoke to her in a soft whisper.

'I'm not going to let anything happen to you.' Rose opened her eyes with some difficulty; she wanted to meet his gaze.

'Doctor, if I die..' The Doctor pulled back from her, her hand still in his.

'Don't say that. It's not going to happen.' Rose placed her hand on top of their joined ones.

'You listen to me. If I die, I don't want you to blame yourself for this. It was not your fault, it was an accident.' The Doctor couldn't stand her gaze any longer and turned his face down to look at her frail hand in his. There was a lump like a rock in his throat, and cold, like ice water ran down his spine as grief overtook him.

'Look at me, please.' Her gentle plea made him lift his face. Tears welling in his eyes at the sight of his Rose so grey and weak and...dying.

'I love travelling with you. Nothing, not even this would make me think twice. I love you, you know that. If you love me, you have to promise me that you will not blame yourself for this.' He nodded slowly, bending down he rested his forehead against hers. She could feel his tears trickle down her face. Martha groaned on the bed next to them, forcing them to pull apart. The Doctor moved over to her side.

'Martha…Martha, can you hear me?' Groaning again, Martha opened her eyes a crack to meet the Doctor's stony face. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't get her voice to work. Gently the Doctor repeated what he had told Rose, and saw the same fear that had shown in her eyes overtake Martha's.

Looking between his two girls, the Doctor could feel himself despairing with every minute that passed. He took their hands and kissed their knuckles in each in turn and promised them that he'd save them. As he left them and ran down the corridors of the TARDIS to the control room, he knew in his hearts that time was running out.

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The Doctor leaned over the monitor in the TARDIS' control room, breathing heavily. There was nothing that could save them. The only chance he had would be to take them to the Healing Halls of Madion. They could work miracles, but this may be too much of a miracle even for the Madions to perform. There was another way. The Doctor stared darkly at the screen, as if damning it for presenting him with such awful information. One could give their life force to another, their life replenishing the others life force and repairing the damage caused to their internal organs. He couldn't, no _wouldn't _consider it. To ask one of his girls to give their life for the other was as good as murder. Thumping the Tardis angrily, the Doctor paced around the console. Another bout of coughing reached his ears and tore at his heart. Striding off down the corridor, he approached the med bay.

Rose looked worse, but Martha looked like death itself. She panted desperately for breath as cold sweat ran down her face in rivers. He paused by her bedside to squeeze her hand affectionately, if only he could do something for them. Gently removing his hand form Martha's, the Doctor moved over to Rose, bracing himself against the bed with his hands gripping the sides. She breathed as deeply as Martha and had the same pale look about her. She turned her face towards him, her eyes rimmed with purple. He pressed a hand to her forehead and brought her hand up to his face to kiss her fingers lightly.

'Anything?' Rose whispered to him. Sighing he brought up a chair to her bedside.

'I can try to get you to the Healing Halls of Madion, they may be able to help you. I don't know if either of you will make the journey.' The words stuck in his throat, and he bent his head to hide the fresh tears that swam in his eyes. Rose squeezed his hand weakly, giving him the strength to continue.

'The only way I could guarantee that either of you would survive the journey would be if the one of you was to give their life force to the other. I can't do it for you, it only works with members of the same species even a half breed like myself wouldn't work.' Rose lay in silence not sure what to say.

'How would you give your life force to someone else?'

'The theory is that all you need is skin on skin contact, if it's really what the person wants in their heart then the energy will transfer itself on it's own. It's quite a sacrifice, death is almost certain and there is a varying degree of pain, depending on how much you give.' Rose stared at the ceiling for a long moment, considering.

'How much would we need?' The Doctor looked down into her eyes .

'No, no way. Your not doing it. I'll get you BOTH there, alive.'

'This is my decision isn't it? There is no guarantee that we'll both be alive when we get there.' Her eyes slipped closed as exhaustion over took her. The Doctor sat by her side for a few minutes, waiting for her energy to return and for her to open her gorgeous eyes again. When after three minutes she still hadn't stirred, he called her name gently. Still she didn't awake.

'Rose?' The Doctor stood, feeling for a pulse, his fingers meeting a very rapid flow of blood beneath her skin.

'Rose! Open your eyes!' Frantic the Doctor ran from the room to the console to fetch his screwdriver, fear pounding through him.

Martha opened her eyes and scanned the room through heavy lids. One had to give their life for the other. He needed Rose, he'd never see her the way he saw her. No matter how much she wished she was Rose Tyler the truth of the matter was she wasn't, she'd never have his heart. Rolling herself over with extreme difficulty, Martha rolled off the bed, crashing to the floor. Groaning deeply, she crawled her way slowly, painfully across the tiled floor to Rose's outstretched hand that had fallen over the edge of the bed. Sitting herself against the cold edges of the bed Martha looked up at Rose's limp hand. The Doctor was her life, she'd give him anything he asked of her. A tear fell down her face, she didn't want to die, but for him, for him she'd face hell itself. Reaching up, she paused inches away from Rose's hand.

'I love you Doctor.' She touched the tips of Rose's fingers and felt the pull as her life drained form her.

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The Doctor heard her scream as he snatched up his screwdriver from the monitor in the console room. Running like never before in his life, he skidded to a halt as he reached the med bay. Rose lay gasping desperately on her bed, awake and looking a little pinker. His heart retched as he saw Martha slumped across the floor, grey and lifeless. He raced to her and checked for a pulse, nothing. Heaving breathes passed his lips as he fought for control over his emotions. Picking up her still form in his arms, he placed her back onto her bed and stood for a moment carefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Tears fell down his face as he kissed her forehead. Gripping the edge of the bed he muttered words to his poor companion under his breath.

'Martha, you shouldn't have done it. I could have got us there. If only you'd waited, I should have been here...' Rose sat up shakily on her bed. With a desperate effort, she put her feet on the floor and prepared to stand. Her legs where too weak to hold her weight, and as soon as she stood up they buckled under her, sending Rose crashing to the floor. The Doctor came to her aid and help her stand, blushing slightly with embarrassment Rose gingerly tried once again to stand on her own, with no luck.

'Well, doesn't look like I'm going to be going anywhere for awhile.' Rose sighed and looked up into the Doctor's face. Seeing his pain made her want to cry, and she raised a hand to his face. Turning his face into her palm he kissed it gently.

'Do you want to talk or cry or…' The Doctor cut across Rose.

'No, I'm fine.' Rose opened her mouth to speak but before she could the Doctor swept her up into his arms and proceeded to carry her into the control room.

Placing her down on the sofa, he quickly set the coordinates for the Healing Halls. Once they were in flight, he crouched before Rose and looked into her eyes.

'How do you feel?' He placed his hand on her face, she smiled weakly at him.

'Okay for the moment. I've got a bugger of a headache and my joints are sore, but apart from that I'm good.'

'Rose, this is only a temporary solution. If I can get you to the Healing Halls the Madion's might be able to help you. I don't know how long this is going to last but if you take a turn for the worst before we get there, there's … there's nothing I can do for you. Do you understand?' Rose nodded slowly. The Doctor leaned up and kissed her forehead and held her face in his hands.

'I love you.' Rose smiled from under his chin.

'I love you too.' Pulling away the Doctor strode over to the console to monitor their progress. Rose leaned back in the old chair. The girl… Martha, was that her name?,,,had given her life for her. Rose pressed her palms to her forehead and rubbed hard to remove the last clouds of unconsciousness from her mind. Why would she make such a sacrifice for a complete stranger? Rose shook her head, the remnants of black still swimming in her mind. Suddenly the Tardis launched forward, almost throwing Rose from the sofa. The Doctor charged around the console cursing and whacking things.

'C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!' Rose pressed her hands to her temples as her headache reached phenomenal proportions. Blackness was overtaking her again, surely the effects shouldn't be wearing off already. Pain swept trough her. Unable to fight it any longer, her already exhausted body surrendered to the blackness once again.

The TARDIS touched down heavily minutes later. The Doctor took a moment to steady himself after the bumpy ride: turbulence was never easy to navigate. Racing around to the other side of the console, his heart caught in his chest as he noticed Rose had passed out yet again. Her body must have been damaged beyond what his observations had told him. Racing to her, he lifted her into his arms and made his way to the TARDIS' doors; he wasn't going to loose her again.

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Nothing moved in the cold, silent med bay. Martha's cold body lay quietly on it's bed. A gentle breeze rushed through the corridors of the great time ship, ruffling her hair. The TARDIS groaned and shuddered, a golden light appearing above Martha's still body. The Time Vortex hovered above her before seeping into her body. Martha's body glowed golden as the Time Vortex overtook her. The hand that lay across her stomach twitched slightly-Martha Jones was back.

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Bet you thought Martha was dead didn't you! Sorry about the wait for the chapter folks but I got it up now. Hopefully I'll be able to upload quicker than this in future but be warned I am doing A level now and it may take me a while before I get pieces up. Thanks for reading anyway, if I weren't for you guys I wouldn't be posting. Please review!!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Healing Halls of Madion

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again just coz. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC' ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world but when everything seems to be going to plan a fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive

Dedications: For everyone who has ever read anything I've ever written and given their support and constructive criticism.

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

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Rose lay unconscious in the Healing Halls of Madion. The resounding silence filled every corner of the unbearable white room. The Doctor slept with his head on Rose's bed, parallel to her hip, his deep breathing mingled with hers the only sound that was heard. A nurse entered, covered from top to toe in white, her face veiled, almost like a child at Halloween who uses its mother's best sheet to pretend to be a ghost. She glided silently to Rose's bedside and checked her pulse. When she presses two fingers to Rose's forehead, a green light glowed from under the nurse's fingers. Rose gasped slightly in her sleep, waking the Doctor.

Sitting bolt upright, he tensed his back, ready for a fight. Catching sight of the nurse, he relaxed, gently removing his hand from Rose's he walked around her bed to the tall white lady.

'How is she?' The nurse nodded, maintaining her rigorous silence. The Doctor smiled tiredly at her, then looked back at Rose. Once again the nurse bent over to check Rose's pulse. Seeming pleased with the result, she moved away from the bed and, bowing low to the Doctor, left the room.

Taking his place once again at Rose's side, the Doctor studied his lover. He should never have let Martha give her life. Rose had made it here because of her sacrifice, but the vision of Martha's fear-filled face plagued his mind. Leaning back in his chair, he rested his elbows on the arms and linked his fingers together. Sighing, he thought of his dead companion, alone in her last moments. He was so lost in his guilt and reflection that he didn't notice Rose stir on her bed until she turned to look at him. Immediately he was standing by her side, her hand back in his unrelenting grasp.

'Hey.' Rose smiled up at her Doctor.

'Hi,' She whispered back. Her eyes glanced around her, taking in the surroundings.

'Where am I?' Squeezing her hand gently, the Doctor reached behind him to draw up his chair.

'The Healing Halls, just like I promised. I told you I would never let you down.' Sitting up slightly, Rose carefully stretched, testing everything for long term damage. Finding no complaints apart from a few stiff joints she turned back to face the Doctor's grim expression.

'Did the doctors… or whatever they have here, cure me?' , the Doctor nodded.

'Yep, they gave you regenerative drugs, and repaired your internal damage with something called mental re-growth. Basically it's a tropodic telepathic link that connects the cerilumtitis in their brains to your mind and stimulates the geralatithic natural repair system that you kind of absorbed when you looked into the heart of the TARDIS.' Rose stared at him, desperately trying to get her sleep muddled mind to catch up with his last sentence.

'Sooo…basically, I'm okay?' Smiling again, the Doctor nodded. Rose grinned and relaxed back into her pillows.

'Good.' Another silence fell upon them, a comfortable silence that both enjoyed. Just to be in each others presence spoke volumes.

Rubbing her fingertips against her thumb Rose flinched as dull pain hit her. Glancing down at her burnt fingertips, she remembered what Martha Jones had done for her. Looking over at the Doctor, who was busy studying the pattern on his tie, she called his name gently.

'How is Martha?' The Doctor's face grew stony. He met her eyes with a cool gaze that he usually saved for the enemies they encountered, something that reminded her that he was the last Time Lord.

'She's dead Rose. She gave her life, so that you could live.' Rose turned her face away from him into the rays of sun that streamed through onto her pillow. Unsure what to think, she thought back on Martha Jones. The cold look she had given her, the harsh words she had spoken, the doctor's pain at her loss. An immense guilt filled her, and she quickly swiped a few tears away from her face before turning to look at the Doctor.

'I'm so sorry ,love.' She squeezed his hand weakly. He smiled tiredly at her, as if all the weight of the world hung around his neck. Leaning up, he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

'Get some rest, my love.'

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Deep in the heart of the TARDIS, a new Martha Jones stood, wreathed in darkness. A few tears of pain fell down her cheeks; she could feel the Time Vortex running through her head. The power was stifling, her head was throbbing, blood whooshed in her ears. Still she thought of him, the Doctor, through the blinding pain, and remembered that she had died. The memory of her life tumbling out of her fingers, draining her dry, was still fresh in her mind.

She was back now, back for a reason, for a purpose. He could tell her, the Doctor could help her, take away this pain. Still silently crying, Martha stumbled barefoot through the halls of the Tardis to the control room.

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Two weeks had passed, and Rose had gained strength every day. The rose colour of her cheeks living up to her namesake once again. The Doctor beheld her with growing joy and love as she unsteadily tried her feet out for the first time in fourteen days. Holding her hand, he helped her across the floor and down the corridor to the canteen, where they drank piwert juice and talked.

'We should get back to the TARDIS soon. Spending this long in a hospital is starting to rub off on me.' Rose rolled her eyes and smiled affectionately at her lover.

'Careful, people might start think you actually know a thing or two about medicine.' She drained her cup and stood with the aid of her chair. Teetering on her feet, she wobbled over to the Doctor, who watched her with a smile, amazed at her strong will. Glancing up from her feet to meet his eyes with a triumphant look on her face, Rose offered the Doctor her hand. Taking it, he stood and helped her down the hall.

'Being an invalid is so boring. I can't wait to get back on the open road.'

'These past two weeks have been surprisingly uneventful.' As soon as the words had left his mouth, the floor began to shake beneath them. Rose instinctively clutched at the Doctor's coat. Nurses walked briskly down the hall, using their telepathic capabilities to keep the patients calm. The shaking began to worsen, tossing the gurneys in the next room into the wall. The Doctor and Rose landed heavily on the floor, crawling out of the way as a piece of the ceiling fell. The Doctor felt Rose press her face into his chest, wrapping his arms around her as he protected her from the falling debris. Patients screamed, and objects crashed to the floor around them. The Doctor squinted down the dusty corridors. He could just make out the room in which he'd left the Tardis. Straining his mind, he reached out to Rose's; the basic telepathic field the TARDIS had provided Rose with all those years ago when she first boarded the TARDIS was still intact, but only just.

'R…. Rose?' Rose nodded into his chest, letting him know she could hear him.

'I….. I'm goi…. Going to pi…. Pick you up and carry……. You to the TARDIS. We'll be …safe there, we…….. We can help from there.' Again Rose nodded into his chest and tightened her grip around his neck. Slipping an arm around her waist and under her legs, he hoisted her up and ran. Dodging pieces of ceiling and several terrified patients, they made it to the door, kicking it open the Doctor pushed inside.

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Pulling open the door of the TARDIS, the Doctor was almost thrown off his feet as a particularly strong tremor shook the time machine. Placing Rose against the railing, he stumbled unsteadily to the control panel. Checking his time machine's database for any anomalies or rifts in time and finding none, the Doctor frowned: something wasn't right. Stroking the TARDIS, he pondered the matter. Then the trembling lessened under his hand, bringing him out of his thoughts. Bending at the knees, he knelt in front of the panel and stroked his machine again, whispering gently as his face grew dark. Eventually the tremors faded into nothing and the ground beneath their feet was still again.

The Doctor hoisted Rose to her feet and checked her over for injuries before carrying her to the sofa.

'What happened?' Rose brushed some stray hair out of her face, trying to regain some composure.

'It was the TARDIS trembling. She was frightened.' Rose met the Doctor's eyes and saw his concern.

'What could do that?' Taking a deep breath, the Doctor raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.

'Nothing's ever frightened her like that before. Something phenomenal must have happened. The TARDIS is very sensitive; she could have picked up on anything, but what ever it was Rose…it was bad, really bad.' Knowing that this was the closest the Doctor was going to get to admitting he was frightened, she took his hand and held it gently in her own. Smiling down at his love, he squeezed her hand.

'We need to get back to the Time Vortex; once we're somewhere the TARDIS feels safe I can try and work out what's wrong with her.' Rose nodded and let go of his hand, leaning back into the sofa. Starting the Tardis up, the Doctor flew her into the vortex, keeping his back to Rose because he didn't want his concerns to show on his face. He continued to stroke his machine, hoping that what ever it was that had frightened her so badly, he could track it down before it damaged his machine beyond repair.

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Martha stumbled across Madion, the dust of the planet's desert making the soles of her feet sore. The heat and thirst burned across her teeming mind. Power coursed through her, itching at every corner of her mind and soul. Tripping over a jutting rock, she feel onto her knees, not having the strength to move herself anymore, Martha let the Time Vortex whisper the secrets of the Universe to her, comforting her. Since leaving the TARDIS, the boundaries that had contained her new found power had been removed, allowing the full power of the Vortex to fill her to overflowing, burning her mind. She was stretched to her limits, her body seeming to age years with every step. Exhausted, Martha collapsed onto the dusty ground and resolved to meet death head on, which ever way it may take her, too tired to care.

Out of the raging sunlight and billowing dust, figures appeared, dark outlines on the horizon. They stood watching the young girl lying in the heat of the day. Expressionless, emotionless, they showed no concern for the human's well-being. One lifted their head, his interest peaked by what he sensed. Motioning to the others, they moved forward in silent unison, closing in on Martha Jones. Surrounding her, they watched her, scrutinised her. The tallest of the group reached into a pocket in the long white robe he wore as the others watched him intently. There was nothing that set them apart from the person next to them, except for the leader, because they all had the same white clothing, the same face, the same uncaring manner. The tall one produced a small black sphere and rolled it in his hands, crouching next to the unconscious Martha. Teasing open her mouth, he forced the little black ball into her mouth, making her swallow. Standing, he motioned for her to stand. She did as commanded, a puppet in his hands. Glancing at his followers, he began to walk. Wordlessly, they followed close behind, beginning their slow march out of the desert with Martha Jones, the power of the Universe within her, following in their wake.

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Hey! I know this is a really short chapter, there are two reasons for that. One being that I'm very behind on homework and simply don't have the time to write really long chapters at the moment, and two: it felt right to end it here. Sorry if you were expecting more from me, hopefully the next one will be a little longer. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review.

Thanks so much to my excellent beta reader generaljess. Thanks so much for all your work so far.


	5. Chapter 5

-1Title: The Outcasts

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again just coz. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC' ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world but when everything seems to be going to plan a fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive

Dedications: For everyone who has ever read anything I've ever written and given their support and constructive criticism.

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

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The Doctor and Rose sat together on the "driver's seat," watching the control panel light up every now and again. Turning to look at her lover, Rose tried to guess what he was thinking. As per-usual it proved a fruitless endeavour, his face remaining as emotionless and serious as it always was. Rose looked down at her hands as she blurted out what was on her mind.

'Doctor, what's happening?' He looked at her, tired and drained. Seeing her anxious face made him realise how little he'd actually told her about their situation. Taking her hand in his, he pulled her up and led her to the TARDIS' control panel.

'You remember that the TARDIS is a living thing right?' Rose nodded, not quite sure where this was going.

'Well she has a memory, like all living creatures do, and she can see everything that goes on in here , in the entire universe actually. All we have to do is tap into her memory bank and away we go.'

'So, why haven't you done it yet?' Rose asked, a little confused; the sooner they found out what was going on, the sooner they could solve the problem.

'I don't want to hurt her. She was so frightened, Rose. I don't want to damage her mind.' Rose nodded, understanding his concern for his precious ship.

'What are we going to do then?' The Doctor shrugged.

'Nothing we _can_ do…until she lets us know she's ready, that is. Hopefully it shouldn't take too long; the TARIDS can sort herself out pretty quickly. Made to be strong and durable-you need that in time travel.' Sitting back down heavily, the Doctor folded his arms across his chest, resigning himself to the wait. Rose reached out a hand and stroked the TARDIS who hummed back and nudged her mind. Through the cheerful sing-song humming sound Rose could still feel the undercurrents of the machine's fear.

'It's alright now,' Rose soothed, 'It's alright.'

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Martha sat in the basement of a tall wooden hut. The structure shook in the harsh desert winds that blew on the outskirts of Madion. Still, Martha did not move, immobile under the control of her captors. The heavy, deep purple curtain that separated Martha from the rest of the hut was moved aside as the leader of the group entered the room and approached her. The leader stood and watched his prisoner as he reached out and touched her hair, smoothing it in his gloved fingers. She was the prettiest creature he had ever laid eyes on; maybe once their dream had been realised she would consent to be his. Though her consent was only a small matter; after all, he still had his box She was nothing, a doll for him to control. Placing two fingers to her perfect mouth, he moved them across her lips, restoring to her the power of speech. Spluttering, Martha glanced upward at the entity before her. When he moved his fingers across her cheek and down her neck, Martha tried to lift her arm, her insides churning at his touch. She was horrified when she found her arm useless. Trying again and failing once more, Martha deemed herself incapacitated. Glaring at her captor, she fixed him with an unrelenting stare.

'My dear, you seem agitated. Perhaps you would be a little more grateful if we tossed you back out into the desert to rot.' Fear began to pump in her veins, but still she glared at this thing before her.

'Who are you?' She spat, not in the mood for civilities.

'We are simply know as The Outsiders. We were Madions once, living their futile existence day after day. Now we roam the outskirts of Madion, exiled from the city itself.' The alien stood in front of her, still hooded and cloaked in it's blinding white robe, unwilling to show itself in its true form.

'We have wandered this desolate plain for nearly twenty years. We rose to greatness from under the feet of the Madions. We are descended from their bloodline, but have now set ourselves apart from their race of sin. We have the true power of speech to preach our life of goodness to the universe. We have faces no Madion has ever seen or spoken of before in their life. Now we rise out of the dust and are given new life. In the eyes of our god we are righteous!' Martha's mind worked overtime to figure out what she had just been told. Anger boiled through her as the time vortex surged through her veins.

'So you're heretics?' Before Martha could even take a breath, a fist lashed out and struck her across the face. Unable to move her head to take the force of the blow, bone crunched under her attackers fist as her nose snapped.

'Those words are blasphemy! Our beliefs are virtuous! No one can deny us; we are almighty!' Martha shook as his rage-fuelled words left her reeling.

'If you are so almighty then why don't you show your face?' She could hardly believe herself. Daring to speak to this terrifying creature, let alone question it. Reaching up, the Outsider grabbed his hood and pulled it off. Underneath, there was a face so out of proportion that it might have been funny if it wasn't so terrifying to behold. The mouth was lopsided, drooping slightly at the right side. The ears, which were small and rolled in on themselves, sat high on the head about three fingers inches away from where they should be. His eyes. large and gleaming, were a little too far apart to be deemed normal. Darting from side to side, the completely jet black irises gave off a hint of insanity. The shaven head showed scarring, deep and raw, running from the forehead to as far back as Martha could see and branching off to the temples. Horrified, Martha almost couldn't bare to look at him.

'What happened to you?' She whispered.

'Our founding father discovered a way to give us a face, using advanced genetics. Our brain was modified and our new faces took shape. It was painful, long, and agonizing to endure, but through our suffering, we are rewarded with life like no other has experienced it.' Martha tried her hardest to keep her gaze directed into the Outsider's eyes, all the while trying desperately to remain calm.

'Seems to me that you've got everything under control. What do you need me for?' Reaching forward, the Outsider tapped the top of her head lightly.

'We need the power contained within you.' Swallowing hard, Martha forced herself to speak.

'What are you going to do to me?' The Outsider removed his hand and cupped her chin. Martha's stomach churned, and she shuddered, desperate to rid herself of the contact. A loud voice echoed from outside the cramped room. The Outsider whirled around, his cloak billowing around him. Shrieking reached Martha's ears, and terror began to build inside her. The Outsider turned to her, hand outstretched.

'No! Please don't!' As the Outsider approached her, the human knew what he was about to do to her. He pressed his fingers to her mouth, drawing them back together. Martha fell silent once again. Once more becoming a motionless figure, eyes vacant and staring ahead, blind to everything except darkness. The Outsider ran for the cloth that separated them from the rest of the world. Soon their existence would be known to all. Soon they would have what they desired.

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The Tardis nudged the Doctor's mind, bringing him out of his musings and back to the present. His shoulder was significantly heavier than it had been when he'd last checked. Looking down, he found the source of this new found weight. Gently moving Rose's sleeping form off of his left side, he lowered her onto the spot he'd just vacated. The doctor pressed a light kiss to her forehead before shrugging off his overcoat and laying it over her. Loosening his tie, he moved over to the control panel. His hands made quick work of the levers and buttons as he accessed the TARDIS' memory banks. Cursing a little louder than he intended when he couldn't get the machine to open up for him, the Doctor leant heavily on the control panel.

Upon hearing his exclamation of anger, Rose opened her eyes gingerly, making sure they were not under attack before sitting up and rubbing her stiff back.

'What going on?' Standing to join the Doctor, she touched a hand to his shoulder and squeezed lightly.

'I can't get her to open up for me. It's strange, she called me, I know she's ready for this but I can't seem to get in there.' Rose set a hand on the control panel.

'Maybe you need to try being a bit more gentle with her.' Rose stroked her hand down the control panel, coincidentally the same place she had ripped the TARDIS open to get back to the Doctor, when he'd been trapped on satellite 5. The TARDIS hummed loudly and allowed her memories to flow through Rose, reaching for the Doctor's hand she took it and placed it next to hers so that he could see the memories the TARDIS held deep in her mind.

Scattered images of Galifery, an older looking Doctor with family and friends. At the council, on Earth after his exile from his home planet. The first companions, the second, third. Rose and nine, Rose's mind whirled as she was filled with leather jackets, big ears, huge grins and 'fantastic'. She was dimly aware of the Doctor taking her hand in his, squeezing slightly. Onward to the space station, her eyes burning gold, the kiss they shared. The Doctor changing, donning a new face and happier disposition. New images of memories they held as well as the ancient machine. The wire, the Ood, running for their lives, her hand in his, running on into the future. Canary Wharf, the battle, Rose screaming, gone, empty. Martha, the Master, Jack. Until suddenly the flashing images slowed and played like a film inside their heads.

The cold empty corridors of the TARDIS where stretched out before them, the only sound was the old machine humming softly to herself. Down deep through the TARDIS they ventured until they turned into the Med Bay. Where Martha lay, cold and unmoving, dead. The deathly silence crawled into every corner of their minds as they gazed at the lost girl, lost to life, found in death.

Just as they began to think that the wrong memory had found it's way into their minds, a gust of wind blew through the corridors and circled around the room. Blinding white light shrouded Martha; an unholy glow of life renewed. A groaning ran through the ship as the light entered Martha's body, lighting her up from within.

As the couple watched, Martha's hands moved across her legs, curling as the muscles reanimated themselves. Gasping, Martha sat up, groaning to herself. Setting first one foot on the floor, then the other, she tried to stand before falling heavily onto the floor in defeat. Using the table as support, Martha pulled herself up. Without warning her eyes widened, her mouth opening wide as she screamed in pain. Clutching her head, Martha bent double as the Time Vortex began to use up her brain.

Rose and the Doctor watched helplessly as Martha cried in agony. Unable to move, unable to save her, they stayed by as silent watchers. The Time Vortex was strong, eating her mind with its power. Falling to the floor, Martha whimpered and sobbed, still clutching her aching skull. Unnoticed by the onlookers, the wall to the right of them glowed white as a lady shrouded in deep blue robes materialized through the solid wall. Her bare feet made no sound on the TARDIS' floor.

The Doctor turned his head sharply as the beautiful woman caught his attention. Rose also looked up. Neither of them needed to be told who this was. It was the TARDIS incarnated, real, in all of her Time Lord glory.

She approached Martha and knelt before her writhing form. Placing a hand beneath her chin, she lifted Martha's face to gaze into her eyes. The TARDIS' curled, dark brown hair fell about her face as she smiled kindly at Martha. Placing two fingers, one on each side of Martha's head, to her temples, TARDIS closed her eyes and concentrated. Martha stopped her pained movements; all the crying, clutching her head, writhing in pain. TARDIS stood, her work completed and held out a hand to Martha and helped her to stand. With one last emotionless look, Martha turned her back on the TARDIS and walked unsteadily off down the corridors.

Rose and the Doctor stood together, amazed at what they had just seen transpire before their eyes. As the TARDIS turned to them, and alarmed Rose stepped back, but the Doctor placed a hand on her arm, never taking his eyes from the TARDIS' beautiful humanoid form.

'Why have you done this?' The Doctor stared pointedly at TARDIS, his rage barely contained in his words.

'She needs to be kept alive for all our sakes; she will save you, save us, save the universe from a fate that, if it comes to pass, will be the end of all things.' TARDIS looked straight back into the Doctor's face, her sweet voice not hiding her authority and wisdom.

'I could have prevented it, whatever it was. I could have stopped it. You have no right to do this to her!' TARDIS gazed calmly into the Doctor's stricken face, sadness etched in her beautiful features.

'You could not foresee this, nor could you prevent it. Only Martha Jones can stop what is coming. You must understand; this is the only way. I _protect_ life; she will be safe, we will all be safe now that she is here.' The Doctor looked into TARDIS' eyes and saw that she spoke the truth. Swallowing his anger, he composed himself.

'Will she stay like this forever? Will she be like Jack?' TARDIS walked towards her Doctor and took his face in her hands. He felt her pale, delicate skin on his face. Her green eyes met his, and he saw the regret there.

'I do not know. I can see all, but the Time Vortex is deep and uncertain. It makes it's own decisions over who stays and who will leave this life. I can not help you there.' Letting her hands fall, TARDIS stepped back from her companions as the psychic connection began to fade. A sudden urgency took hold of the Doctor, his unanswered question now burning in his mouth.

'Wait! What is it? What's coming?!' He asked too late, the two time travellers were thrown back into reality, the question left unanswered.

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Rose rubbed her back for the second time that day. She sat up on the hard floor of the TARDIS, watching the Doctor pace around the console. Using the chair to help herself up, she went over to the Doctor and took his hand, making him stop and face her.

'Okay first question, why was the TARDIS human?' The Doctor kept working his eyes transfixed on the screen in front of him.

'That was the TARDIS' soul. She can show herself in a 'human' form if she thinks it's necessary. It's just her mind though, like a hologram.' Rose nodded and asked her second question.

'When the TARDIS did that… thing… to Martha.' She gestured to her temples, showing the Doctor what she meant. "What was that?"

'It's called a mental perception band. It basically means that the power of the Time Vortex is being held in her mind securely so that it can't take over her body and 'burn her up' so to speak.' When he saw that Rose was still confused, the Doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of a simpler explanation.

'Erm, well think of it like this. The TARDIS is 'monitoring'-no, hang on… 'controlling' the Time Vortex's power with the band. It's like the Time Vortex has done something naughty, and the TARDIS has arrested it and put it behind bars until further notice. Got it?' Rose nodded, as usual her mind was working over time to keep up with his incessant babbling.

Sitting down heavily on the sofa that lived by the control panel and pulling her legs up underneath her, Rose pondered his explanation.

'So what now?' She asked, almost wary of his answer, knowing that whatever they were going to be facing in the future would not be pleasant. A dark feeling settled itself in the pit of her stomach and refused to budge. Oblivious to Rose's unease, the Doctor talked her through his plan.

'Well, first off we've got to find Martha. I'd say that's priority number one, wouldn't you? Might be a bit tricky though. I know what your going to say; if the TARDIS is monitoring the Time Vortex in Martha, why don't we just use the TARDIS? Nice idea there, but the TARDIS only implanted the barrier. She's not consciously controlling the Vortex. I suppose we could do a 'power track' on her…that's a scan that looks for unnatural power through out the universe, by the way. If I set it to the highest power frequency range it should pick up Martha in a jiffy! After that… never thought that far ahead, I'm making it up as I go along, so we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, eh? I guess we just wait it out and make our decisions when we're in the 'throws of the moment,' as it where. Sound good to you?' Turning around, he grinned at Rose, and she half suspected that he knew that she didn't remember what his first sentence had been, but she wasn't about to let him think he'd got one up on her.

'Sounds like a plan.' Standing, she crossed over to him and watched him type some outlandish symbols into the TARDIS' computer. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she could almost feel her mind melt as she watched him work. Sometimes she really did feel like a dumb ape.

'Doctor?' She called him softly, her voice hinting at the slight embarrassment she felt. The Doctor grinned secretly to himself.

'Yes, Rose?'

'What are we doing again?'

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Martha was cold, still seeing darkness all around her. She listened to the Time Vortex sing to her. The pain had stopped now, her mind accustomed to the vast power contained within it. All Martha could feel now was an odd stretched feeling. The smell of smoke hit her senses from the outside world that she couldn't quite perceive trapped in this immobile shell. The need to know what was going on was burning within her. She felt powerless, unable to see or hear what was going on around her, unable to help herself.

Time passed slowly, the minutes achingly long, stretching into eternity, until suddenly the hazy blackness that had shrouded her consciousness lifted and harsh reality was thrust back upon her. The room she sat in was still in the same condition it had been when she'd last seen it. Martha had expected something different. Still unable to speak or move at her own will, Martha resigned herself to wait until her controllers allowed her to move.

An Outside moved into her restricted field of vision and moved her into a standing position. He limped considerably when he walked, a little blood visible from underneath his robes, staining the white cloth red. He used the black box to move Martha forwards. She obeyed, totally in his control. Once she exited her solitary room, she gazed fixedly at the destruction around her, her mind working overtime to cope with the inability to show her horror.

The land before her had been destroyed. Remains of houses still smouldered and holy banners, torn from their masts, lay trodden into the mud. Only about half of the original group of Outsiders that had found her in the desert stood before her.

12 aliens and one human girl set off along the deserted plains of Madion. Unsure of their destination, Martha continued to walk onwards, unable to stop herself from putting one foot in front of the other, regardless of exhaustion or thirst. The Outsiders stared ahead, oblivious to Martha's pain, the excitement of achieving their goal growing with each passing moment. A new age was upon them; the age of enlightenment would be bestowed upon all things.

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Hey there! Did you miss me? I'm so sorry it took so long to update but I've had sooo many essays to write it's unreal! Good old A level yay… Anyway I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, if you did please review. If you didn't… well you can review anyway constructive criticism is always warmly received. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Title: The Rift

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again just coz. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC' ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world but when everything seems to be going to plan a fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive

Dedications: For Simi911 for helping me out in the middle of a science lesson, with about half of my chapter. I own you one matey!

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

A.N: I'm Sorry that this chapter is so short, but I didn't have the time to write something longer. I promise chapter seven will be more substantial. I've got a day off so hopefully it will be up here soon.

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Martha trudged onwards, her feet sore and bleeding, powerless to stop the onslaught of pain. When an Outsider pulled up sharply in the middle of a desert, all Martha could see for miles was sand. She stopped moving abruptly, suspended in time, and she watched her companions as her legs screamed at her, longing to give out. The blinding sun scorched her already burnt face as it bore down on her.

They all stood motionless, waiting in unending silence. As Martha looked on, each Outsider raised his arms to the heavens and called out strange incantations into the wind. Clouds blacker than anything Martha had ever seen before rushed by overhead, casting darkness over the land on which the travelers now stood. With a sudden intensity about them, the group called out more fervently into the now howling wind. A clap of thunder rolled over head and lightning flashed as the storm began to rage around them. Martha felt the fear course through with every brilliant streak across the sky. In a sudden flash of light, a bolt of lightening hit the ground directly in front of the small group with a deafening crash. Unable to shield her face from the large amount of sand that flew at her, Martha felt her eyes burn as grit dug into them.

The dust slowly began to clear and the blinding light subsided, and Martha squinted through her streaming eyes to gaze at the tall tower that had appeared out of nowhere. For what felt like an age Martha stared awe struck at the large building before her, its many windows gleamed in the now beating sun. Dark red brick jutted out of the supposedly circular structure at odd angles. The large slates that tiled the roof fell off every few seconds, splintering as they hit the ground. It most definitely looked the worst for wear as it swayed and creaked a little unsteadily on it's new footing. Martha could not help but feel a little apprehensive about entering this unnerving structure that she assumed was to be her new home for the foreseeable future.

The group moved forward into the tower, the door grinding shut with a finality that was more ominous than Martha cared to think about. Her situation was precarious (still no sign of the Doctor), but she was determined to fight. No alien was going to break Martha Jones.

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The darkness was impenetrable like her spirit. Locked in the dark cellar of the tower, Martha sat rigidly in a corner. The Outsider that had spoken to her back at the hut had released his magic hold over her body for a few hours, but Martha waited in apprehension and fear for the moment when he would plunge her mind back into blackness. She couldn't see two inches in front of her face, and the urge to cry was becoming stronger with each moment she spent staring into the dark. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she rested her head against them. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to go home and forget about time travel, about aliens, about the Doctor. Who was she kidding? He wasn't coming for her-he's got... Rose? Was that her name? Frowning hard and hitting her aching head against her knees, Martha felt tears force their way out of her eyes and down her face. Nothing was worth this, nothing was worth this pain in her head and heart. Martha groaned as a particularly large surge of pain hit every nerve of her body. God, her head! What was this now? If she had to die again for this, someone was going to get it. Still bathed in darkness, Martha cradled her aching head in her hands, praying for the Doctor to come and take her pain away, praying for a miracle.

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The Outsiders had gathered in the largest room in the tower. Round with a high ceiling, it appeared that in its glory days it had been a room of grandeur only for the worthy to see. Now all that it held where dusty old relics of forgotten days and a large rectangular table sporting 20 chairs in which the Outsiders now sat. Each had removed his hood and sat, hands folded in front of him, his face void of emotion. The Outsider in the middle of the left hand row was the first to speak.

'My brothers, blessed is this day! In the castle of our forefathers, we sit with the power of the universe beneath our feet. Today we shall rise up from the dirt and take back what was stolen from us. Our homes have been destroyed, our people driven from their land by the Madion's. They cannot go unpunished for their insolence!' The Outsiders around the table nodded eagerly in agreement. A smaller man opposite to the first Outsider to have spoken moved forwards in his seat.

'The Madions do need to be punished, but, my friends, what about our original task? We need to spread the word of our righteous existence to the universe-that is what the girl is for. How can we be sure that enacting our revenge will not drain her of all power?' After a mumble of agreement and concern rose around the table, another Outsider raised his hands for silence.

'There is enough power in her to last out the night. If we take our fill of revenge upon the Madions, why not complete our task at the same time? As we bring forward the past to collide with the present, why should we not exile them to a distant plant, seated in the past, encased there forever. To rot in darkness as we did all those long years on their cursed planet! Take them to their new home and, with the power of the universe, keep them forever in the past: never to age, never to die, but to live their tired existence on a wasted planet over and over again.' A silence fell over the group as they thought over this new idea. A larger Outsider at the head of the table spoke.

'I think that this new idea is good. We shall vote on it. All those in favour of the new mission?' All the Outsiders raised their hands.

The Outsider who had spoken first stood.

'In three hours we will meet at the pinnacle of the tower. I shall...make adjustments...to the girl.' Turning grandly, swirling his large white cape behind, him the Outsider left the room and headed with purpose for the dungeons.

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The Outsiders had gathered as planned at the top of the tower, waiting for their companion to return with their captive. Each one turned as the sound of footsteps reached their ears and the door was grandly flung open. The Outsider strode into the room, Martha in tow, once again fully in his control.

Another Outsider stepped forward to examine Martha. Glancing up, he regarded the Outsider that had taken to being Martha's caretaker.

'What improvements have you made?'

'I have removed most of the barriers containing the power. With these adjustments, we should be able to maximize the effects that we can have on the universe.' The Outsider was still prodding Martha, and soon his eyes returned to her body.

'Are you...'

'All is well. You need not question me.' Without raising it's eyes to the speaker, the Outsider backed away from a motionless Martha. Each Outsider in the room gazed at their charge as golden rays of light flowed from her eyes, casting light into the darkest corners of the room.

'It is time! The power is building; we must act now!' An Outsider cried out as a heavy wind began to whip around the room, pulling at the long robes of the hideous creatures.

Forming a circle around the motionless Martha, they raised their arms high to the heavens. The Outsider with the box controlling Martha hastily pushed some buttons on the control pad. Controlling the power that surged through Martha's mind was becoming difficult. Battling with the control pad, the Outsider forced Martha to rip a hole in time and space. Each Outsider gazed upwards as the sky split in two with a deafening crack. Time and space merged and collided with one another and the present reality.

Unable to control Martha any longer, the Outsider was thrown backwards as the box he held exploded with a loud bang. Finally, the control he had on her mind was relinquished, and now that Martha was now fully aware of what was happening to her, she threw her head back and screamed a long, howling cry of pain.

_This is it,_ Martha thought as tears poured down her face. Her head throbbed painfully as the power poured from her. Falling to her knees, she raised her head to the crack in the sky as planets became visible through the blackness of the vortex. _Its__ all ending because of me_! _Doctor, I need you! _Her last thought left her before pain finally overcame her, and Martha opened her mouth and began to release the power of the vortex, pulling the past into reality.

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The Doctor leapt up from the TARIDS's pilot chair and donned his glasses. He'd been scanning for unnatural power throughout the universe for the last nineteen hours. So far the only luck he'd had turned out to be a few kids from Polpatron messing about with a hydrotrapolator. Quickly rescanning the screen in front of him, the Doctor sprang into action, setting coordinates for Madion.

Hearing the sound of the engines, Rose sat up from her lounging position on the couch where she had been sleeping and rubbed her eyes.

'Wha's goin' on?' she slurred at the Doctor as she made her way over to his bouncing form by the control panel.

'I think I've found them!' Rose was fully awake in an instant, all traces of sleep gone from her mind.

'Where?'

'Madion.' A small frown crossed her face.

'Isn't that the last planet we were on?' The Doctor nodded and rushed to the other side of the control panel as the monitor that it sported began to bleep loudly.

'What is it?' Rose asked as she ran to his side.

'We need to get there fast. The power the TARIDS is picking up is reaching phenomenal levels. If it is Martha she might have bout twenty minutes at the most.' Looking into Rose's eyes, the Doctor tried to tell her that time was rapidly running out for Martha. Tearing his gaze away, he punched in some more data and sped the TARIDS up slightly.

'Come on old girl, come on.' The Doctor mumbled under his breath. They sped through the vortex towards the power source. With each moment the power was getting stronger. Across the large expanse of space, Martha's eyes widened as she felt it, the TARDIS, its presence closing in on her. He had come back.

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A.N: Hey there guys. I emailed everyone who had shown an interest in this story (e.g. everyone who had reviewed, added to favs etc). So they all know why this took so long. For those of you who don't know my friend is very ill. I don't have much spare time anymore so this chapter isn't as long and probably isn't as good. I'm very sorry for any disappointment this has caused. For those old faithfuls thank you so much for sticking with it!


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Saving Grace

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC'.

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world, but when everything seems to be going to plan a fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive

Dedications: For Pam, I'm so sorry I couldn't do you that Heroes piece. One day I'll get around to it. Will this do instead? Thanks for all your support, we all love you.

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

--

The Doctor panted heavily as he continued to race around the central panel, giving the old machine an occasional whack with his mallet. Rose clung desperately to one of the oddly shaped columns that protruded from the floor. Digging her nails into the alien metal, she trembled as the TARDIS was flung around by the time vortex. She couldn't help but think that it had all finally gone to shit.

'What's happening?' she shouted at the Doctor, over the horrendous noise of the emergency sirens.

'It's Martha. She's released the full power of the vortex!' he yelled back. With a particularly violent shudder, the control panel began to spark and groan mournfully.

'Oh no, you don't!'

Giving the poor TARIDS another good few blows with the mallet and occasionally his fist, the Doctor eventually beat her into submission. Landing heavily on Madion, the TARDIS hummed loudly in protest to the rough treatment she had endured.

Taking a moment to pat the TARDIS by way of an apology, the Doctor raced to the door grabbing up his coat and Rose as he went. Wrenching the door open, the companions where flung backwards by the force of a particularly large power surge, causing the Doctor to hit his head on the metal grating. Shaking off the dizzying blackness that was fast descending on him, the Doctor reached out for Rose. Finding her arm he pulled her towards him and covered her body with his, shielding her from the flying debris. Through the noise, sand and the chaos the Doctor looked down at Rose, watching her cough as she breathed in the dust.

Placing his face close to her ear, he spoke to her. 'You okay?'

He heard a muffled '_Uhuh_' and he breathed a sigh. He drew away from her and helped her to stand. They both staggered as another blast hit them, raising their arms in front of their eyes to ward off the flying sand. They could just make out the outline of a tower swaying in the distance.

'MAKE FOR THE TOWER!' The Doctor yelled to Rose over the deafening din of the howling wind.

His eyes where still fixed on the tower in the horizon, when Rose slipped her hand into his and squeezed it. Taking their joined hands and pressing a kiss to her delicate skin, he suddenly realised that he could be leading her into her death for the hundredth time since he'd met her. Did she want to be here as much as he needed her to be? He turned to meet her eyes and caught her smile as it graced her face briefly. He knew the answer to his question. Beaming down at her with his big _here-comes-trouble_ grin, he clasped her hand tighter in his and pulled them both into the eye of the storm.

--

The Doctor and Rose battled their way up to the tower's door. They could hear the old building creak and moan. The roof tiles cracked as they where jarred away from their fastenings was like a gun shot; the noise was audible even over the racket of the storm. The pair hurled themselves into the door as a large group of tiles came crashing down around them. The ground shook slightly as the storm stepped up its attack. Bounding up to the door, they tired to pull it open with little success. After giving the keyhole a good dose of sonic frequency waves, it opened quite happily. The Doctor tugged on the handle and pulled himself and Rose inside.

The wind whistled through the gaps in the brickwork, the odd grains of sand forcing their way through to swirl around on the floor. The pair stood for a moment listening to the sound of the wind raging outside like some wild beast desperate to get inside. Rose pushed the hair away from her face and listened as the Doctor muttered something about the vortex and weather frequencies.

They looked towards the stairs. Over the lashing wind, they could just about hear the desperate screams of Martha Jones. The Doctor turned to Rose, his face anguished.

'I have to go to her. Rose, I need you to stay here and use the screwdriver to call the TARDIS here; you remember how to do that, right?' Rose nodded dumbfounded. He was leaving? 'I'm coming back okay. Try not to get into too much trouble.'

Rose took the screwdriver from him as he gave her a strained smile. She watched him run for the stairs before gazing down at the screwdriver in her hand. What if she never saw him again?

Before she could quite register what was happening, she felt arms around her waist and his lips against hers in a desperate embrace. As they pulled apart, Rose caught a glimpse of his gorgeous face before he bounded up the stairs. Clearing her throat loudly, Rose pulled herself together and began to set the screwdriver to the right settings.

--

Martha smiled through the pain as the familiar feel of the TARDIS pushed into her mind. She was vaguely aware of the door behind her bursting open, all around her chaos erupted as The Outsiders scattered, muffled yells and pleas reached her ears. Suddenly, through her many tears she noticed a pair of blue legs appearing in front of her. Lord, what was going on?

Choking back sobs of pain and relief Martha felt her heart soar as the Doctor bent on his knees to face her, his face grave and pained.

'Oh Martha Jones, what have they done to you?' Unable to speak her mouth gapped open as she begged him with her eyes to end her suffering. The look of pity in his face was still visible even to her with her eyes so red and swollen. _God I must look a sight_, she thought fleetingly.

'Martha, this is probably going to hurt. I can't help that. Can you be brave for me?' He was talking to her like a child, soothing her, calming her. Unable to answer his question, she just kept her eyes on his. The Doctor raised his hands.

'I'm so sorry.' He touched his fingertips to her head and closed his eyes. Martha felt something like a knife puncturing her head and constricting her brain. Desperately, she tried to hold the pain inside herself, but as the bind around her mind constricted further still, she couldn't bare it any longer and for the second time that night began to cry out.

The Doctor continued to work on her mind until she finally passed out. He watched as the storm calmed and the tower ceased to creak and groan. Slipping his arms around Martha's limp form, he picked her up and carried her to the only exit. He made his way out of the door, happening to glance up, and noticed the large split in the night sky.

'Oh. That's not good.' He muttered to himself before he made his way down the stairs to Rose and hopefully the TARDIS.

--

Rose sat on the last step of the stairs fiddling with the screwdriver, fusing together bits of sand and resonating pieces of concrete. The TARDIS stood proudly, even though it was a little weather-beaten in the centre lobby of sorts. Sighing, Rose gazed at the old machine thinking over all the memories that it held. What if he never came back to help her make new memories for the TARDIS to hold? _Well at least you know how to fly the TARDIS. It could be worse_, she told herself. A good ten minutes had passed since the storm quietened down. Rose however sill felt uneasy, thinking about the calm before the storm, the second one. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't quite figure out what.

Before she had any time to ponder it further, she heard the Doctor cursing loudly as he tripped over a large piece of brick. She stood and turned to watch him kick it angrily out of his way. It took her a few seconds to notice the limp bundle in his arms. Brave Martha Jones - was she dead?

Racing up the few steps between them, she let her eyes take in the beaten and forlorn form that was Martha. Without warning, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. Martha was so young, she hadn't noticed before. God, if she had only been able to hold on, if only she had been able to fight her sickness herself, Martha would never have given her life. Just as Rose was beginning to believe her despairing ramblings, she heard the Doctor call her name.

'Helloooo?! Madion to Rose! You're blocking the stairs!' He caught sight of the tears in her eyes; he quietened and nudged her ankle gently with his foot.

'C'mon, let's go.' Suddenly snapping back into action, Rose bounded down the last five steps and up to the TARDIS door. Whipping out her key and stuffing it in the lock, she turned the key with shaking hands and shoved the door open with her foot.

'Oi! That's my 900 year old space ship you're kicking there!' The Doctor moaned indignantly, deciding to let it slide this once.

Rose quickly put the TARDIS into basic flight as the Doctor laid Martha on a med table that was fused to the floor. Rose once again thought how damn lucky they were to have a telepathic ship. She watched as the Doctor gently covered Martha in a thin blanket and strapped her to the bed. He was so tender, so careful; she knew better than anyone else that he was already blaming himself. It was in his nature to blame himself.

--

Soon they where spinning peacefully through the vortex, the TARDIS humming gently, glad to finally have some peace restored to her. Rose watched over the Doctor's shoulder as he ran the screwdriver over Martha's forehead.

'How is she?' Rose asked in a small voice, the guilty feelings she had experienced back at Madion still overwhelming her.

'Stable - for now.' His eyes never left his work, the pure concentration almost flowing off his hunched over form.

'How long will she be out for?' The Doctor straightened up and moved slightly to the right to glance at a contraption that looked uncannily like a heart monitor, but the Doctor had clearly explained that it measured brain waves.

'I don't know. Could be hours, could be weeks. Thing is, she's still got the vortex in her head. I can't get it out. The TARDIS has tried, she can't get it out. If I don't do something...' The Doctor petered out, the end of his sentence hanging unspoken in the air. Rose gazed after her lover as he paced around the control room angrily.

'Well, you kissed me to save me on the game station. Couldn't...couldn't you do the same to Martha?' The thought of her Doctor kissing another woman tickled the jealous monster that lay in the pit of her stomach. She was so mortified when he'd told her he'd kissed her on the games station - it was everything she'd ever dreamed of and she couldn't remember a damn thing. Typical.

The Doctor looked up at her for a moment before resuming his pacing.

'Skin on skin contact won't be enough this time. It's metastasised inside her head, taking over her mind and her body at an accelerated rate. You only had the vortex in your head for a few hours max. Martha's been playing host for going on week now.' A deep feeling of helplessness fell over Rose; there had to be something they could do for Martha.

'So what are we going to do now?' Rose asked in a small voice.

'I don't know.' The Doctor stopped his pacing and leaned heavily against the console, head bowed, eyes forced shut. In the silence his ragged, deep breathing, echoed off the empty walls. Rose jumped as he lost control and punched the console hard.

'SHE'S DYING AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO! I'M JUST SITTING HERE AND...AND...' Rose watched as the Doctor crumpled under her gaze, overtaken by despair and fear for his friend. She'd never witnessed anything quite like this, the TARDIS shook with her master as he feel on his knees and forced the palms of his hands into his eyes.

Unable to hold back the urge to comfort him anymore, Rose slowly approached the Doctor's crumpled form. Kneeling down behind him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head, whispering nonsense words into his ear as he cried. Laying her head in the crook of his neck, Rose rocked the Time Lord gently as she felt his hearts slow from their rapid beating and his breathing evened out.

Turning in his lover's arms, the Doctor leaned up and brushed his lips with hers.

'Thank you.' Before Rose could even think up a reply, he had already pulled out of her arms and was offering her his hand. The moment, as always, was lost.

--

2 DAYS LATER

Still no change had occurred in Martha Jones. For two days and nights she had laid motionless in the TARDIS' control room as the Doctor and Rose kept a vigil over her bed. It was almost as if she was suspended in time, never changing, never moving in a fixed point of chaos.

The Doctor had let the TARDIS 'sleep' for a few days while Martha recovered. They couldn't risk moving her, her body may not be able to take it. No distress signals where heard, no comforting bleeping of the alien technology, just unending silence.

Rose had seen nothing but the control room for the past six hours, fresh out of energy and enthusiasm she committed herself to thought and let her mind wander. The Doctor entered from the side door that led onto the little kitchen with two mugs of coffee and smiled tiredly at his girl gazing into space. Sitting down next to her and setting the mugs on the floor he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

'Penny for your thoughts?' He asked her when she turned to face him. Rose raised an eyebrow.

'They're worth way more than that. You wouldn't get much for your money, anyway.' Bending over, the Doctor produced the mugs of coffee from the floor and handed one to Rose. Turning her back on him, she settled against his chest and his arm naturally went around her shoulders. Both sat sipping their drinks.

'Doctor, when you where upstairs with Martha where their any... you know...aliens with her?'

'Well she didn't get there by herself, did she?' The Doctor answered sarcastically.

'Where did they go then? I mean usually when we foil an evil plot the aliens in question threaten death, rampage and kidnap one of us excreta, excreta. Did I miss it this time?'

The Doctor tightened his hold on Rose ever so slightly, pulling her a fraction closer to him. He swallowed hard.

'You didn't miss anything. I dealt with them.'

Rose was tempted to turn around and look into his face, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. For the first time since she'd met him, she was afraid of him.

'I didn't kill them.'

Breathing a silent sigh of relief Rose felt herself relax back into the warmth of his chest. 'What did you do with them then?'

'I used the screwdriver to trap them all inside the attic of the tower; they'll never be able to escape. They'll be imprisoned there for the rest of time.' Rose frowned, it almost seemed worse than death.

'Isn't that a bit harsh? I mean-' The Doctor cut her sentence short.

'Look what they did to Martha. Do you think they should be allowed to do that to someone else?' The cold formality in his voice was something that Rose had never heard from him before, a detachment that wasn't like him. A deep silence fell over the pair as they preoccupied themselves with their drinks. Rose cleared her throat, breaking the silence and spoke.

'You know when you were saying goodbye to me, when I ended up on the parallel world?' A feeling of apprehension filled the Doctor; he tried desperately to beat it down as he lowered the coffee mug from his face and made a noise between a grunt and a hum.

'What where you going to say?' Suddenly, the world around the Doctor constricted rapidly. God, what was he supposed to say to her? The first time had been easy. If he had made an ass of himself, he would never see her again. His grief had overshadowed the deep embarrassment he felt whenever he showed his feelings. Looking down at his girl, he could smell her hair; he could see her hands and feel her warmth against him. Even with her back to him, he could guess the look of longing on her face as she dreamed of some romantic answer that would sweep her off her feet - every girls' fantasy.

Suddenly he realised his mouth was hanging open, waiting to be filled with words. Before he knew it his mouth had decided it had had enough of waiting and spoke all by itself.

'I was going to say, I love you.' The Doctor sat stunned at the words he had just spoken; he didn't even remember thinking that. He felt Rose nod her head against his chest as she rested a hand on his arm.

'I thought so,' she said quietly. The Doctor bent his head and kissed the top of hers before resting his forehead on the same spot. Maybe there was something in this soul bearing thing.

--

Both the Doctor and Rose where jarred from a pleasant sleep as the TARDIS began to jerk uncontrollably around them. Running across the quaking floor, the Doctor reached Martha and tightened the straps around her body, narrowly avoiding a falling piece of metal that had become dislodged from the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Rose staggered to her feet only to clamp her hands over her ears. The TARDIS overrode the blocks on her alarms system and every bell in the place went off at once. Still with her hands clamped over her ears, Rose tripped and staggered her way over to the control panel, where the Doctor offered her a hand to steady herself.

'WHAT'S GOING ON?!' Rose yelled over the deafening noise that vibrated off the TARDIS' walls. Quickly slapping his hand down on a muffler button to his right, the Doctor scanned the screen in front of him as Rose lowered her hands and rubbed her tender ears. The Doctor's face clouded and a serious frown settled over his features.

'The shockwaves from the vortex has just reached Earth. It should have just passed right over; the waves should have been too weak to do any damage...' Tapping the screen he brought up another page of Gallifreyan statistics. His frown deepened as he read on.

'I left the rip open, the one I came through to get you. You were so sick, I didn't think… it didn't matter...' Turning to Rose, anguished, he gripped her shoulders.

'It's like the battle at Canary Warf all over again. The worlds are fragmenting, sucking each other in. Rose, I... I don't know if I can save it this time, the bridge suffered so much trauma last time, I don't think it could take it.'

Dropping his hands from her shoulders, he looked into Rose's eyes as the realisation hit her that everyone – including her Mum, Dad, Mickey – might soon be dead. The Doctor clumsily gathered a terrified Rose to his chest as another vibration rocked the ship. Reaching behind Rose, he set the coordinates to Earth. This could really be it this time, the untimely end of the planet Earth – and it was entirely his fault.

--

Okay so here is chapter 7 up, it's a bit longer this time around. Is there something I didn't explain here? I get the feeling I'm missing something out. Please review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

-1Title: Torchwood

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K 

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again just coz. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC' ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world but when everything seems to be going to plan a fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive

Dedications: For **princesspeaches **thank you so much for your wonderful comments and the affection you have shown this fic. Your reviews revived this fic, I was so close to giving up on it (damn writers block) but the support you gave has inspired me. Thank you.

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

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The TARDIS landed heavily on a bay in Cardiff. The rising tide lapped viciously against the blue exterior of the ancient machine. The unnatural stillness of the surrounding area was not common for a world on the brink of destruction. A cold wind blew in from the West, rustling the blades of grass and foliage on the rolling hills. It would have been the picture of serenity if it were not for the swirling black clouds looming overhead.

Inside the TARDIS, things were operating a little differently. The Doctor spun on his heel as yet another siren began to ring shrilly throughout the control room. Grasping several different levers and slapping his hand down on many ominous-looking red buttons, the Time Lord almost didn't notice his companion leaning, small and silent against one of the columns that decorated the odd interior. When he did look up and saw the distraught bundle that had previously been his bubbly companion, he cursed his stupidity under his breath. She looked so lost: head hanging down, arms folded protectively across her chest. Not quite knowing the best way to comfort her, the Doctor did the best he could; after all, a mind occupied is better than a mind idle.

'Rose.' He spoke gently, quietly, as if afraid even the sound of his voice might break her in two. 'Can you go and see where we are?' She gazed up at him with empty, frightened eyes and nodded slowly. He watched her exit the TARDIS and sighed, running a hand over his face. God, what was he going to do?

Rose stepped from the time machine and instinctively pulled her hoodie tighter around her as the biting wind pulled at her small form. Looking up at the tortured sky, Rose wondered how much longer the Earth had to spin on its axis. She barely noticed as the freezing water of the tide soaked her shoes and the bottoms of her jeans. Gazing around, Rose quickly spotted a small signpost about 5 feet away from her. Splashing clumsily through the rolling waves, she approached the battered piece of plastic. Leaning in close, her lips moved silently as she tried to pronounce the strange Welsh words.

_Dårlig Ulv Stranden_

Bad Wolf Bay? No way, this was way too creepy to be real. Rose trembled slightly as icy fingers ran up and down her spine. Straightening up, she took a deep breath of cold air. It was just a freaky coincidence; one of the weird things the TARDIS did, like when she used to end up in Cardiff on every other extravaganza they went on. Yeah, that was it. Sloshing her way back to the TARDIS, Rose couldn't help but feel there was something more to this odd coincidence they'd landed themselves in.

The Doctor registered the look on her face before her bedraggled appearance when she finally forced her way through the doors, battling with a particularly large gust of wind.

'So, where are we?' He asked cheerfully, desperately trying to lighten the sombre mood that was becoming all too familiar around the time machine. Rose walked shakily up to him and leaned against the TARDIS' control panel, gaining the Doctor's full attention. Then again, the whole world could implode and Rose Tyler would still be the centre of the universe.

'Erm, we're in… Bad Wolf Bay.' Rose laughed coldly. 'I can't believe this, I really can't believe it.' Struggling desperately with tears, Rose put her hands to her face, leaving the Doctor to watch her and feel his heart tug painfully in his chest. Slipping an arm around her waist and shoulders, he brought her to him in a hug. The TARDIS had chosen here of all places to land! He was so preoccupied with ridiculing his time machine and her choice of destination in his mind that he barely noticed Rose move under his protective grasp. Looking down at her, he asked that age old question.

'You alright?' Smiling up at her lover, Rose nodded.

'I was just wondering: shouldn't we be doing something like, oh, I don't know...saving my home planet?' It was like the whole world rushed in on the Doctor at once; suddenly he was overwhelmed with the noise of the sirens, the smell of certain bits of the TARDIS overheating, and an overwhelming urge to resonate something.

Pulling away from Rose sharply, the Doctor tried and failed miserably to put the TARDIS in flight. The usual sound of the old machine starting up was cut short by a series of spluttering as the flight mechanism failed. A real fear now filled Rose with such force that she could almost feel her mind reeling. If they couldn't put the TARDIS in flight, they were goners, along with the planet she had called home for so many years. Using all his best manoeuvring skills, the Doctor skidded around the central column desperately. All too soon, he had run out of things to whack and yell at. Gliding to a halt next to Rose, he gazed at the TARDIS, almost longing for her to work.

'What is it?' Rose whispered. The Doctor looked down at her, undercurrents of anger showing through his dangerously calm face.

'Someone is interfering with the signal; I can't get her to fly.' Rose was all too aware of the lack of time they had. Unable to just stand and wait for fate to claim her, she darted towards the monitor protruding from the control panel.

'There has to be something we can do! Who's sending the signal?' The Doctor put his arms around her waist and lent his head on her shoulder.

'It's coming from London, more specifically where I picked you up from. Rose ... there's nothing I can do.' Not even turning to look at him, Rose continued to gaze at the screen in front of her as it cast an eerie blue light on her pale skin.

'Can't you override the system or something? We can't just sit here and do nothing. Come on...what about the screwdriver? When we were on the Game Station, you overrode all the controls I was holding down. What about all the signals it's figured out? I bet it could help us out here too.' Finally turning to look up at her lover, she begged him with her eyes to try. Still a slave to her every whim, he pulled the screwdriver out of his pocket as he let go of her waist. Fiddling with the settings, the Doctor pointed the screwdriver at the central column with a sceptical look on his face.

Rose felt her heart leap as the TARDIS suddenly roared into life. A look of shock, bewilderment, and then glorified amazement each swept over his face in quick succession.

'Well, that was unexpected.' He commented quietly. They both watched side by side as the TARDIS took them to the Torchwood headquarters; where all this had started, where the Doctor had finally found his Rose.

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As the TARDIS landed heavily in the same room the rift had appeared in, chaos ensued around the strange old box. It almost went unnoticed in all the confusion, only the odd few stopping mere seconds to glance at it as it materialised, before being pushed away with the frantic crowd.

Forcing their way into the packed room, Rose and the Doctor took each other's hands and tried to force their way through the crowd. They had not gotten far when they were waylaid by a group of burly looking men and a few haggard looking members of Torchwood.

'Hello again!' The Doctor greeted them a little too enthusiastically, taking the small group a little by surprise.

'You are the Doctor, yes?' One particularly nervous scientist plucked up the courage to ask. The Doctor grinned all the more at him.

'The one and only, at your service.' The scientist wet his lips and nodded his head, giving the pair a small, strained smile.

'As you most likely know we're having somewhat of a crisis here. We caught a hold of the signal your ship was giving off and grounded her. Lord knows how you managed to move it but…'

'It was all Rose really. Couldn't get anywhere without her.' The Doctor cut in, gazing down at his companion as she squeezed his hand in silent thanks.

'Quite.' The scientist cleared his throat and indicated that they should follow him. 'We recognise that you may be the only person on Earth that can help us. So in light of the impending emergency, we're willing to lift the bounty on your head.' The small man stopped suddenly in front of the small group behind him and approached the Doctor. Squaring himself up against the Doctor's tall, wiry frame, one got the impression that he was a little disappointed that he only reached the Doctor's chin.

'Before we go any further, I must ask if you will co-operate with us. This means no alien authority, no taking off unexpectedly and no touching. Can we rely on you?' The Doctor nodded and took the little man's outstretched hand, shaking it a little too vigorously.

After he had successfully untangled himself from the Doctor's grip, the little scientist pressed a few buttons to his left and entered an access code to the door they were currently standing in front of. Just like a corny film, everyone's jaws dropped open, right on cue.

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They all gaped at the large rocket that stood before them; it was ugly, to put it simply. It was dull, grey, and cylinder; your typical sci-fi space shuttle. It loomed above them, silent and ominous.

'This is our only hope now.' The scientist almost whispered from somewhere off to the Doctor's left. 'When we have our final parts, we can disband and find another planet to inhabit. This world has proved too fragile for man; we must find somewhere else to reside. We do require something from you, Doctor, to achieve this.'

'What would that be then?' The Doctor asked, never taking his eyes off the shuttle as he glanced over the exterior components.

'Your ship. We anchored her here to save the human race.' Both Rose and the Doctor whipped around to glare angrily down at the little scientist who, to his credit, met their gaze with a new resolve. 'If we could harness her technology, we would have the power to leave this planet and start a new life, perhaps growing to become greater than ever before.'

'If you're trying to appeal to my better nature, you're failing.' Rose could hear the anger rising in her lover's voice between the blood rushing through her ears.

'I'm sorry, Doctor, but your machine is the key to our survival. Without her speed and time travelling device the human race will not make it from earth alive.' A tremor of fear ran through Rose; without the TARDIS they were doomed. They were outnumbered in the largest sense of the word; six billion desperate people worldwide that would do anything to get off this planet against the Doctor and herself, hardly a fair fight.

'I can fix this. Trust me, I know what to do please all I need is time.' The Doctor fixed his gaze on the scientist. 'Please.' A moment passed in which Rose held her breath, her chest burning. The Doctor and the scientist held each other's gaze, each weighing up the other.

'You have two hours. If the alert has not been raised by then, I'm afraid we have no choice but to acquire your machine by force.' The Doctor nodded and watched as the small group of scientists and guards moved off into the heart of Torchwood's head quarters.

'Well' He said a might more cheerfully, turning to Rose. 'Looks like we've got a job to do.'

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Throughout all this the TARDIS had sat dormant in lab 24 C, Martha still lying motionless on the cold medical bed just inside the entrance. The entire ship was in darkness, only the dim green light from the control panel stretching out into the gloom. The silence was daunting, broken by the odd hum as the TARDIS yawned to herself. This stillness was deceiving, hiding from sight and sound the events taking place outside the calm interior of the ancient ship.

Martha groaned in her sleep. It had been almost twenty four hours since the Madions had been imprisoned in their own tower and she had fallen into a coma like state. The light from the panel bathed the left side of her body in its eerie green light, causing her skin to appear clammy and pale. What it didn't do was create the sheen of sweat and the sudden burst of heat that had begun deep in her gut. It didn't cause her skin to tingle and her mind to whir. Every nerve ending in Martha' body was on fire, and the TARDIS knew; she could feel it. It was almost time; soon Martha would be who she was born to be.

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Ok, I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry for leaving this chapter so late and it is a little short, I apologise. It was supposed to be the last chapter in the book but I think that I shall extend the fic. There was just so much more I could make of it and I didn't want to cram all of it into one last chapter. I promise I will be quicker with chapter nine. Oh and yes I do have plans to make this a book series, anyone interested?


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